Cour du Breuil Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.258  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Right by the roadside, this is a pleasant dolmen to find, with the large skeletal remains standing slightly hidden by a surrounding hedge, from where they suddenly jump out at you as you pass.

The main chamber would have been about 4 metres by 2 metres, but the single remaining capstone covers only half of this, balanced as it is on 3 side slabs at 1.5 metres above the ground. There are plenty of other stones laying around, and the remains are kept in a nicely tended but small gardenlike area.

Dolmen des Pierres Folles du Plessis

Trip No.203  Entry No.257  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This possible Angevine dolmen resides in a little wooded picnic area beside the lane to the south of the busy D.949 road to the east of Avrillé. The chamber would have been 5 metres long by 2 metres wide, but the eastern end has collapsed and broken badly, so its difficult to tell. The remains of a 4 metre by 3 metre capstone lie fallen into the chamber, although it is still supported at the western end. The mass of jumbled stone at the east end has obviously been recently broken further, as there are very fresh breakage edges, and drill marksd to be seen, or else it is possible that some new stone has been dumped here.

The nice surprise nature find at this place was a massive, lovely patterned moth sleeping at the bottom of one of the stones.

Menhir dit le Champ du Rocher

Trip No.203  Entry No.256  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: All I could find where this stone should be was a fallen smoothed stone at the roadside, but I could find nowhere to safely stop and have a good look around. It's about 3 metres long by 2 metres wide.

Petites Jaunières

Trip No.203  Entry No.255  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: Inside a field just to the west of the D.85 road south of Le Givre, but very difficult to get at or take a picture of because of the ditch, fence and hedge surrounding its field ! I estimate it to be about 3 metres tall, and sort of pointed.

Pierre Levée de Chenillée

Trip No.203  Entry No.254  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Vendée (85))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This is a nicely smoothed and shaped menhir, which must be about 4.5 metres tall, 2.5 metres wide and 1 metre thick. It is just off a farm track beside the road, and is signposted.

Dolmen dit la Pierre-Levée (La Jarne)

Trip No.203  Entry No.253  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This is a nice little dolmen sitting at the edge of the playing fields just outside the back of the church in the village of La Jarne. I am not sure exactly how original this dolmen is, as it looks like it might be a relatively modern reconstruction, and is stood in a gravel area with tell tale plastic sheeting under the new gravel surroundings. I could find no information about it.

Dolmen dit la Pierre Fouquerée

Trip No.203  Entry No.252  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: This dolmen is not so easy to find as its neighbour, La Pierre Levée, but is in the middle of a field of maize to the west of the farm of Bois des Mottes near the village of Ardillières. The 3 metre by 2 metre limestone capstone sits at an angle on top of one full support stone, and several other broken stones. The chamber is very neatly rectangular, about 3 m by 2 m, and the builders of this one did a very fine job of squaring and lining up the stones.

It has recently had weedkiller applied around the stones, which reside in a little unploughed area, and is obviously relatively well looked after.

La Pierre Levée (Ardillières)

Trip No.203  Entry No.251  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice pleasant simple little dolmen, just into a field of wheat about 30 metres from a farm track to the south of the village of Ardillières. The capstone sits proudly atop its three upright supports, making a chamber about 2 metres long by 1.5 metres wide and almost 2 metres high. It sits almost at the top of a little hillock in amongst the marais, and can be seen for miles around. On the inside of the chamber, the western side support stone has a fairly clear carving on it of what looks to be an axe, or a crook, perhaps a combination of both, looking rather like a large P, about 45 centimetres tall.

While I was here, a German couple, saying they were father and daughter, about mid twenties, arrived, and we were talking about the dolmen, and I showed them the carving.

Pierres Closes de Charas 2

Trip No.203  Entry No.250  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: About three or four hundred metres away from the first Pierres Close, in the middle of a field planted with sweetcorn on a bearing of 295°, can be seen a second large stone. After walking most of the way round the field, I could gain access from the far side. It is another large rock with an oval chamber cut into it, but this time there is only half of the chamber and no capstone remaining.

Two good interesting finds to start the day, I have not seen any dolmens or whatever like this before.

Pierres Closes de Charas 1

Trip No.203  Entry No.249  Date Added: 23rd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 5th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Its an odd one this, an oval shaped chamber about 1.7 metres long, 1 metre wide and 0.7 metres high has been carved out of a big block of rock. On top of this is a limestone capstone full of holes and cavities filled with lichens and wild flowers.

It can be found just to the northwest of the historic Naval town of Rochefort, amongst the marshes of the Charente river estuary. Not signposted, but marked on my ign map, I drove along some windy lanes to l'Houmee farm and walked about a kilometre along the track to the southeast and found it easily. The walk to this was really splendid, with Herons, Storks and other birds circling, Frogs making a noisy racket and insects chirrping away.

Dolmen d'Ors dit la Piare

Trip No.203  Entry No.247  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 4th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Remains of a once fairly large burial mound with several chambers contained within it, now fairly well destroyed, on the southern tip of the Ile d’Oleron, within the community of Le Château-d'Oléron. The remains of this dolmen are easily found, but not signposted, right beside the seawall in a little picnic area right at the southeastern tip of Ile d’Oleron where the road bridge makes landfall. If you get to the first building (a restaurant) from the bridge, you have already passed it.

The remains here consist of an approximately triangular capstone, sides of length 4 metres, and about a metre thick. Perhaps there are more stones underneath, and built into the sea wall. The stone is broken into two pieces. Closer inspection shows there to be a few other large stones in the vicinity of the capstone, now covered by land and the sea wall. Just on the sea side of the wall is the possible remains of another dolmen, or a broken off part of the first, which seems to be a bit of capstone sitting on the beach, surrounded by the sea when I arrived. There are no other large rocks like this in the vicinity, and it doesn't look like it should naturally be there. I have discovered since my visit that this indeed did used to be a fairly large mound, with several burial chambers within it.

Dolmen de la Pierre Levée (La Vallée)

Trip No.203  Entry No.244  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 4th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a bit more like it. Signposted to the north of the village of La Vallée, behind the churchyard along Rue du Dolmen, this dolmen is lovingly looked after in a nicely tended little area of grass on its mound amongst some trees.

It seems to be the remains of a large double chambered tomb, the main chamber being about 4 metres by 3.5 metres at the east of the mound, with a massive capstone now on the ground amongst the remains of about 10 or 12 uprights. To the west are what I am guessing is the remains of a secondary chamber, about 2.5 by 3 metres in size, but which now looks like not much more than a wrecked rectangle of stones with a bit of stone in the middle which was possibly part of a capstone.

La Pierre Levée (Sablonceaux)

Trip No.203  Entry No.242  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 4th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Signposted from the D.XXX road to Sablonceaux, this dolmen is about a kilometre walk along a track through the forest, but there are no more signs and it’s a guess as to which way to go at several junctions. I kept to the biggest track at each option, and eventually there it was to the right of the pathway. It has a little noticeboard, but there is not much more to see, just a pile of three stones in a little hollow. While I was here, the area around the dolmen was absolutely teeming with masses of little jumping spiders !

Sechebec Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.241  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 4th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This dolmen comes with its own block of flats, "Residence du Dolmen", which is currently for sale, in the western outskirts of Cognac, not too far from the big sports centre.

The 4.5 by 2.5 metre chamber is covered by a single large capstone, held up on 8 external support stones and with another stone on the inside, but it is not very high off the ground. It would not surprise me at all if this has been somewhat modified for safety reasons, as it is now part of a sort of play area surrounded by blocks of flats. But at least it is still here, and nice to look at.

Garde Epée Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.240  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 4th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This is a big dolmen, the chamber of which is about 4 metres in length by 3 metres wide and 2 metres high. It has a single large backstone, with two side stones on the south side, only one on the north (the other is missing) and one at the eastern end. The capstone is two pieces, the larger western stone having several delightful holes in it and a warning sign saying not to climb onto it or stand underneath, as the stone is cracked and ready to break.

This dolmen is also suffering from graffitti and rubbish, but otherwise well looked after in a little clearing amongst the vines with its own sign. It can be found just to the south of the D.157 road, a couple of kilometres west of Jarnac.

Courades Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.238  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 3rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Probably once very similar to the St Fort dolmen, but this one has collapsed, probably fairly recently, and the capstone is now in several fragments on the ground. The chamber was once 5 metres by 2.5 metres, with a big closing stone to the west, and the entrance to the east. It seems to have carved stones paving the floor area, with the side slabs fitted closely to these.

It is easy to find, and is signposted about 600 metres along a track from the DXXX road, and is adjacent to a small flying club which takes its name from the dolmen, Aeroclub de Pierre Levée.

Saint Fort Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.237  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente (16))
Visited: Yes on 3rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Signposted from the town of St Fort-sur-le-Ne, it is found about 1 kilometre to the east on top of a small hill amongst the Cognac vines. It is a real monster, looking like the skeletal remains of a dinosaur robot or something.

The chamber is 5 metres in length, by 2.5 metres wide, and the single, one metre thick capstone more than adequately covers that. It is held 2.5 metres high in the air by three large upright support stones, with the outline of the chamber having five more large stones in place.

Unfortunately, the poor thing suffers badly from graffitti, both written and carved, and it would seem to be used as a place for the local youth to come and drink, with empty bottles scattered all around. One of the side slabs has some strange carvings on it, perhaps a sort of window or entrance was once here, with the dolmen used as a house.

La Pierre a Cerclet

Trip No.203  Entry No.236  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 3rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 1 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This dolmen is a complete wreck, and can be found beside the D.134 road south of Charnac. It has had a little area of field left unplanted around it, but there's not much to see. There is just what seems to be a broken capstone and a few other bits and pieces laying about. I have since found out that this dolmen was destroyed as recently as 1978,

La Pierre Folle (Montguyon)

Trip No.203  Entry No.234  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Poitou:Charente-Maritime (17))
Visited: Yes on 3rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This superb monument is signposted to the north of the town of Montguyon, and has its own parking and picnic area. It is a double monument, with an Aquitaine allée-couverte combined with a dolmen.

The allée-couverte part is massive, with a double chamber internally measuring 8 metres long, 1.5 metres wide and up to 2 metres high, facing east at 080°. The big capstone at the west end is 3 metres off the ground, 1.5 metres thick and is estimated to weigh 30 tonnes.

The dolmen part of the monument at the western end is much more complex to make out, at first seemingly being just lots of large stones all over the place. Looking in more detail however, suggests that it has a simple chamber with an entry corridor facing to the north, and incorporates the back stone of the allée-couverte as its eastern side.

These really are some impressive and lovely stones, and the angles of the capstones in particular are very striking. Some of the stones have fascinating holes and markings in them, many looking like they have been carved. And one of the stones at the entrance to the allée-couverte looks to be hollow, with a great big "chamber" within it. Quite a splendid place.

Pity the weather while I was here left a lot to be desired, and made getting good photographs difficult. Well worth a visit, and just as I was about to leave, a coachparty turned up. There is a sign which states that there are supposedly several other monuments nearby, including two more called Pierre Folle.

Peyrefitte

Trip No.203  Entry No.233  Date Added: 22nd Apr 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Aquitaine:Gironde (33))
Visited: Yes on 3rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Signposted from all around, and with a little parking area, this huge and nicely shaped menhir stands in a little field amongst the vines. This is the largest standing stone in southwest France, and it is 5.2 metres tall, 3 metres wide and less than a metre thick, with the bottom part of it chipped away to make the distinctive shape. There is a little hollow in the bottom of it, apparently made for offerings to be placed in during the middle ages.

Estimated to weigh 50 tonnes, the stone has been brought to this position from at least 2.5 kilometres away. It has been dated to 2500 BC, contemporary with the various allée-couvertes to be found in the region.

It is said by legend to mark an entry to the subterranean world, can cure rheumatism, and is good for curing a limp. But while I am here, a massive thunderstorm has arrived, and I must rush back to the van quickly.