Beleven allée couverte

Trip No.209  Entry No.11  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Remains of a fairly disturbed but mostly complete allée couverte can be found in dark woodland to the northwest of the village of Plouer-sur-Rance, to the north of the magnificent ancient city of Dinan. Although the quartz block stones of this 14 metre long allée couverte are fairly well disturbed, it is in fact mostly complete, with a well defined terminal cella, and even with traces of its mound still to be seen. It is possible that it once had a lateral entrance.

Remarkably, it is stated that this monument was only discovered in 1972, which I find hard to believe, and it was classified as a monument historique as recently as 1981.

The poor thing is very close to a busy express highway, the N176, which runs along this northern edge of Brittany, but although the noise from the traffic is constant, the dense woodlands do a good job of hiding it all.

Despite looking on maps as if it would be very difficult to access, its on a wooded hillside right next to the dual carriageway road , there is in fact an emergency phone and layby nearby on the northbound carriageway, where it is possible to park and visit the monument. From the layby, hop over a little fence and follow a well worn path to the left for about 100 metres, and there it is ! Brilliant, its like the layby is deliberately put there for us stonehunters !

Four-És-Feins

Trip No.209  Entry No.10  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: I went and had another look for this while in the area last weekend, now knowing to look nearby to the Beillac farm. I could see nothing obvious when driving slowly down the lane past the farm, but there was an old couple out tending their wonderful vegetable garden, so I stopped and asked them if they could tell me where the dolmen was. They were interested to know what an Englishman was doing looking for the remnants of the dolmen, but were happy to help.

Unfortunately, I struggled to understand fully all they were saying, a combination of strong accent and using some words I just could not figure out. But I thought I had got enough of a lead to find it easily. Park out of the way of the farm track by the corner of the farm. Cross the field to the south on the newly cut hay at the edge of the field for 200 metres until reaching the other side. Go straight on about another 100 metres (unknown words) until I get to the big trees, and it is on the left, (some more unknown words). Put boots on if you have them. Sounds simple.

Well, it was all very simple simple, until I tried to decide which of all the woodlands were the correct big trees. However, after a few false starts, I found a place in a woodland to the left of the track, with a mound in it, and what looked to be some lumps sticking up, but it was very overgrown. It has to be this, surely. Closer inspection amongst the ivy and brambles, and there were clearly a few side set slabs sticking up through the ground, and I was pretty sure I could determine two rows of slabs about 1.5 metres apart from each other, but with no stone more than 0.5 metres tall, and most substantially lower. I reckoned that what I had found on top of the mound was about 10 metres in length, and had to be the remains of a very ruined allée couverte.

However, walking back to the car, I thought that these poor remains were not really enough to be known by the name Four-es-Feins; the Fairies Oven. Surely something with a name like that must be a grander structure. I also thought it to be too ruined to be what the old couple were explaining to me, although they did say it was just the remains of an allée couverte. I would have thought they would have told me not to bother rather than gladly give me directions.....

Upon returning to the car, I remembered I had book with description in a box in the boot. "Rectangular chamber measuring 10m by 1.5m with 6 orthostats on the south side and 5 on the north. Their length is between 1 and 1.8 metres, height about half a metre and thickness 0.3 metres. Brilliant, this all fits to what I saw. But then, the description goes on. Three cover slabs about half a metre thick, and the backstone are still in place. Around the monument, a dozen or so other stones lie scattered.

Well, I can believe the stones are now more covered by undergrowth and soil than that description, and hence seem smaller. The size, orientation and almost everything seems right, with one major exception; the three cover stones. There was nothing at all which could have been them. Read the description again and realise it has been based upon a plan and writings from 1886 and 1928. Maybe it has become much more wrecked since then, but what of the old couples talk ?

So, was this Four-es-Feins or not? If it wasn't, what had I found ? I am not sure, but like to think I did find it. Certainly until anyone proves otherwise and can show me something better I'll count it.

La Roche Longue (St-Marcan)

Trip No.209  Entry No.13  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This well shaped menhir is just under 3 metres tall in a field to the east of the St Marcan cemetary. As with my previous visit, the field is planted with maize, and is today sodden wet, which prevents me from being abole to walk right up to the stone. However, this time I can walk up the western edge of the field by the cemetary, and photograph its other side in the afternoon sunshine.

Menhir du Perron (St-Marcan)

Trip No.209  Entry No.14  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition -1

Log Text: A 2 metre tall menhir similar to the Roche Longue of St Marcan, once stood in the fields of Perron, about 800 metres south of La Roche Longue. It somehow disappeared in the 1930's.

Outre Tombes

Trip No.209  Entry No.12  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2009. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This horseshoe of megalithic stones has alternatively been considered as a megalithic enclosure (cromlech) or perhaps the stones once surrounding a dolmenic burial chamber. Seven stones are shaped in a sort of semi circle, of diameter about 7 metres.

This monument was classified as a historical monument in 1966, but by 1977 had disappeared, being the victim of an expansion of the local quarry at Vaujour. When this was discovered, the police were called in, but it was all thought to be too late. However, in 1989 it was found that most of the stones hadn't simply been destroyed, but had been moved and dumped into a nearby field, although one had gone through the stonecrusher. With the help of a plan and photograph of the site taken in 1962, the local people (with the help of the quarrying company) had the site recreated in 1998, just a few hundred metres from its original position.

There is also a small menhir erected at the site, the origins of which I do not know, but the stone does not look modern. Today, the site sits in a little meadow near to the top of the quarry, and can be found beside the little road which runs along the top of the hills to the northeast of the massive Vaujour quarries. There are several information plaques at the site, telling of its history and with diagrams and pictures.