Abri de la Salpetriere

Trip No.205  Entry No.197  Date Added: 26th Nov 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 21st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Beside the river near to the Pont du Gard is a big cliff shelter, which has a sign on it saying it was used as a dwelling in the age of reindeer. Excavations were going on within, and it was all fenced off.

Allée Couverte de Saint-Eugène

Trip No.205  Entry No.103  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 14th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: I have now twice found this only by luck. This time I took a wrong turning (one road too soon) and ended up on a stone track across private land where I could not turn round to go back out, and then I saw a little sign to dolmen, up the hillside I remember. I managed to park the van in a wider part of the track about 500 metres away, and went back on foot to look for the site. Quite how one is meant to get here properly, I do not know !

Up on top of a pine covered hill is an open flattish area, upon which is built this lovely tomb. It has all been much restored, so quite how much is original I do not know. The first thing you see is a circular stone wall containing a stone cairn, about a metre high and about 25 metres in diameter, with upright slabs every 5 metres or so around its circumference. Within this is the remains of a massive structure, and a partitioned chamber. The main chamber is 15 metres long, lined with large slabs, and opens to the southeast at 155°. At the back end it is 4 metres wide, and 5.5 m from the end is the remnants of a stone partition within which the remains of portal entranceway can be seen. The next section is 6 metres long, tapering to 2.5 metres wide, up to the remains of another partition with entranceway. This leaves just 3 metres of tapering corridor to the entrance in the circular wall, just 1 metre in width. Unfortunately there are no cover stones, and the entrance portals are very damaged, to the extent of being almost non existant. In the stone mound there can be seen the remains of two further intermediate circling walls, the first a U shape around the chamber, and the second a concentric circle within the outside wall.

Aneran stone

Trip No.205  Entry No.63  Date Added: 25th Oct 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Midi:Hautes-Pyrénées (65))
Visited: Yes on 8th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Deep into the Louron valley, on the western side of the Col de Peyresourde in the high Pyrenees, is the tiny village of Aneran. In the tiny churchyard beside this small ancient church in this little Pyrenean village are several odds and ends of old stone, some carved into shapes and and with patterns on them.

I assume the prehistoric stone here is the dark grey cylindrical block, stood beside the wall at the corner of the church. Its about 1.2 metres tall, and approximately circular in section with about 30 cm diameter. It reminds me a bit of some of the iron age steles in Brittany. The church also has some fascinating carved stones built into its walls. An interesting little place.

Aqueduc d’Ansignan

Trip No.205  Entry No.95  Date Added: 7th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Ancient bridge and aqueduct spanning the river at the village of Ansignan, still used to irrigate crops on the opposite bank. It is built on the basis of a Roman bridge, probably from the 3rd century.

To cross the bridge, with the aqueduct built on top, you walk within an enclosed passage with a few holes for light, and it seems rather like walking along a passage within the walls of a castle.

Armenteule Menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.64  Date Added: 25th Oct 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Midi:Hautes-Pyrénées (65))
Visited: Yes on 8th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Deep in the Louron valley, on the western side of the Col de Peyresourde in the high Pyrenees, is the tiny village of Armenteule. In this sleepy little Pyrenean village there is an old church. Inside the churchyard, just beside the back of the church, is a standing stone. Whether the church was built beside the menhir, or the stone was brought here later I do not know.

The stone is a piece of slatey schist, stands some 1.3 metres tall, and is approximately 40 cm wide by 20 cm thick at the base, tapering slightly to the top. The whole place has a nice feel about it, as if its as old as the hills, and that man has been living and farming here for eternity. It is slightly strange that this stone (and that at nearby Aneran) is made of a dark grey / black slatey stone, when the majority of stone round here is pale granite.

Arques Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.165  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This dolmen can be found just to the left of the road west from Planas towards Le Quintanel, turning left just before you reach Le Landre and continuing for about a kilometre until you pass the brow of a hill.

The remains of this fairly large dolmen are just off the road, and still mostly within a fairly large tumulus. The back stone and two side slabs are in position, but the capstone is dislodged to one side. The chamber is 3 metres long by 2.5 metres wide, and would probably have been large enough to stand in. There is the remains of a 7 metre long by 0.7 metre wide entry passage through the tumulus, which opens, as they all seem to do round here, towards the southwest, at 237°.

Avernat menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.167  Date Added: 24th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Gard (30))
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This fine chap stands proudly at the junction of the roads D.158 and D.158a from Blandas to Le Landre and Quintanelles, just a couple of hundred metres from its neighbour, the menhir de Combes. It is very similar in both size and shape, 3 metres tall, except this one is not so superbly weathered. I am not sure whether it is in its original place here at the road junction or not.

Baraque de l'Air Menhirs

Trip No.205  Entry No.248  Date Added: 7th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 25th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: I drove for a look in the rain, I could see another hilltop covered in standing stones, where a possible cromlech has been identified.

Barbegal Mill and Aquaduct

Trip No.205  Entry No.205  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Sep 2005. My rating: Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I found no dolmens, but did find some intriguing Roman remains. A double aquaduct leads south from the hills over the road and fields to another smaller rocky ridge which water channels are cut through to a big drop at the far side. I had no idea what this was until I found out much later that it was the Barbegal Mill complex, a massive flour mill from Roman times with a total of 16 waterwheels. I wish I had known at the time, but it was truly fascinating.

Bargueyrac Menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.256  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Auvergne:Cantal (15))
Visited: Yes on 26th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: About half a kilometre further west along the D.990 road can be found this little menhir, right beside the road and with a little sign. Its only about 1.3 metres tall basalt, and in the past has obviously had something stuck on top, probably a cross, due to the hole which can be seen drilled into it.

Barraque-des-Fourniols statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.119  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This statue-menhir is now to be found at the entrance to the car park at the Rieu-Montagné Musée des Traditions, beside the Lac du Lauzas, near to Nages. It is about 1.4 metres high, and it is well shaped, but any engravings are extremely faint, to the point of being invisible to me.

Bélesta Museum of prehistory

Trip No.205  Entry No.88  Date Added: 28th Oct 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 12th Sep 2005

Log Text: Blimey, the roads round here are twisty and tight. There was no way I was able to park the van anywhere near the village for a look at this. So I had to give up totally on any thoughts of a visit to this supposedly excellent museum.

Bois-Grand Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.257  Date Added: 13th Dec 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Auvergne:Cantal (15))
Visited: Yes on 26th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Just to the south of the village of Les Ternes, the new D.921 road goes up a fairly steep hill. On the right, halfway up the hill is a little layby and picnic table, with a sign to this dolmen, which can then be found less than 50 metres up the trackway from the layby. It is right beside the road, and part of its mound of stones has been cut away. The dolmen has a large and thick capstone, 3.5 metres by 2.5 metres, sitting on top of a little chamber, 2m by 1m, which has two side slabs and a back stone still nicely in place. The capstone looks much too large for the rest of the dolmen ! Around the dolmen are lots of loose basalt stones, obviously one a part of its cairn.

Bout-de-la-Côte Menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.215  Date Added: 30th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Lozère (48))
Visited: Yes on 24th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: As the Corniche-des-Cévennes passes over the high point to the north of Pompidou, about 1040m high, there is stood to the side of the road this menhir. It stands about 2.3 metres tall and has in its time served as a gatepost, fencepost and snow marker beside the road. But it is still standing proud, with tremendous views all around, particularly towards the southeast.

Bras Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.23  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Haute-Vienne (87))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This beautiful little dolmen is fairly easily found to the south of the village of Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles along the D.44 road. Just to the north of where the road crosses the river Benaize is a place to park and a signposted footpath to the west. The footpath is well marked with orange marks, and after a couple of hundred metres walk turn right and go up the hill for a further hundred metres.

The dolmen has a rectangular chamber, 3.5 metres by 2 metres, built on the hillside overlooking the river, and it is open to the south. The single granite capstone is 4 metres long by 3 metres wide, and a lovely curved shape, looking from certain directions like an elongated mushroom. It sits on top of seven support stones, with a couple more fallen below it. There are remains of a mound around it, circular and approximately 15 metres in diameter. It is possible that there was once an entry passage, as there are signs of side set slabs on the down slope from the dolmen. The stones here are covered with lots of nice moss. This is such a nice dolmen I was inspired to try and do a little drawing or two.

Brillaud Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.72  Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: At Cap-Del Pouech, I looked carefully at my maps and found that I could drive halfway to this dolmen and hopefully park up by La Page farm, which will save on the walking. From there, it was a 25 minute walk along a well maintained and signed footpath along a lovely ridgetop, but difficult underfoot on the bare and slippery limestone and mud.

It is in fact two dolmens, both within most of their stony mounds which are adjoined. The east dolmen has a chamber 3 metres by 1.5 metres, open towards the east, with two side slabs and a capstone still in place. The back stone has broken and fallen. The western dolmen is a bit of a wreck, and only faint remains of the chamber can be seen. The overall mound is about 20 metres in length, by 10 metres wide, and seems to have some large slabs in its perimeter, defining the outside shape.

On a good day, the views from up here would be superb, the high Pyrenees to the south, and the plain of Toulouse to the north, but today its just clouds. Good job I didnt try and get to the third (Couminges) dolmen on the walk, as its already 5:30 by the time I get back to the van !

Bruyère d'Usclas

Trip No.205  Entry No.143  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 17th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a lovely dolmen, but was a bit of a bugger to find, despite a large signpost. Taking the road from Lodeve east to Saint-Michel-de-Grandmont, travel 800 metres further than the entrance to the priory. Here there is a junction with two large forest tracks and a parking area, with a large sign pointing down the first forest track to "Dolmen Bruyère d'Usclas".

I walked miles, and saw no evidence of the dolmen, but found three ladies sitting in the forest. I asked them and they pointed out the error of my ways - I had gone way too far and walked round in much of a big circle around the hilltop. From the parking at the junction, only walk about 200 metres (about 150m past a big tank), then look for a little path down the hillside into the forest on the left. It is marked with a little pile of stones, but I do mean little ! Fifty metres down this path through the trees is the dolmen.

It has much in common with the nearby dolmen de Coste-Rouge, a similar sized (but not so high) chamber set in a circle of stones, many of which are the red volcanic rock. The capstone, which is unfortunately broken at the back, sits on four perfectly fitted support stones, with the side stones angled inwards. The front stone does not have the oven door, but the entrance is to one side, which shows evidence of a carved and enlarged opening area. The chamber is about 2.5 m long by 2 m in width. The stones are fitted so well that almost no light gets in apart from through the entrance.

Calhau de Teberno Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.57  Date Added: 25th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Aquitaine:Pyrénées-Atlantiques 64)
Visited: Yes on 6th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This dolmen can be found in a nice little landscaped bit of parkland, sandwiched between the D.920 road and the railway line at the outskirts of the village of Buzy a couple of kilometres to the north of Arudy. There are many other rocks in the park, which have probably all been placed as features, but perhaps one or two are related to the dolmen.

It sits on top of a little hillock, which I wonder whether these are the remains of a large tumulus ? The chamber is largely below the level of the surrounding ground. The dolmen has a lovely curvy capstone sitting on top of a chamber 4 metres long by 1,5 metres wide, with nicely positioned side slabs each side (3 one side, 4 the other). There is a well fitted backstone, and the chamber opens to the southeast on an alignment of 135°, but perhaps more importantly this is looking directly towards the big gap in the mountains, which is the entry to the Ossau valley.

If it wasn't for the bad weather, and all the trees around, this dolmen would have superb views. I think that I later learn that the dolmen was possibly moved to its current position when the railway was constructed.

Cambous oval tombs

Trip No.205  Entry No.185  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Just outside the ancient village can be seen the remains of at least one ruined chambered tomb, which I assume to be of the oval tomb type.

Cap-Del Pouech Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.71  Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Decided its silly to have come to Mas d'Azil and not gone to visit the dolmen, as it is signposted from the village, and you can drive up a narrow windy lane almost right to it, and theres a place to park just a few hundred metres from the dolmen.

It looks to me to have been re-erected at some point in the past, with one of its little supports possibly being concreted in. A large limestone capstone, 3.5 metres by 2.5 metres, sits high on top of 4 support stones, one backstone, one large and two smaller side stones. The chamber is 2.5 by 1.5 metres, and positioned on a little limestone outcrop with possibly some traces of a cairn around it.

Unfortunately, the poor thing has succumbed to the usual problems of graffitti and broken beer bottles. The dolmen de Brillaud is signposted from here, and I am tempted.....