Dolmen de Serrat d'en Jacques

Trip No.205  Entry No.92  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: A couple of hundred metres from the Creu de la Llosa dolmen, following the footpath uphill through the scrub to the east, up towards Serrat d'en Jacques, and you can find another dolmen, similar in size to the Creu de la Llosa dolmen, but this time with an entry passage through its cairn. I do not know the name of this dolmen, and I assume it has also been fairly recently restored.

The cairn is about 10 metres in diameter and surrounded by large slabs, with a height of about 0.5 metres. The dolmen, approximately central, has a chamber 3 metres long, and varying in width from about 1.8 m at the front to 1 m at the back. Again, the floor is paved, and there is a part height stone across the front. There are three side slabs each side, and a full height backstone. There were either several capstones, only one of which is now in position, or else a single large one has been broken. On top of the remains of the capstone are one or two cupules, but nothing much else in the way of engravings. To the southeast is an entrance chamber, facing 118°, paved and about 2.5 metres in length to the edge of the mound, making up to the full width of the chamber.

The views from this dolmen really are superb, but unfortunately slightly obscured by the highly scented scrubland. The Canigou is clearly visible to the southwest, but still enveloped in its clouds today. Excellent.

Dolmen d'A Fourna

Trip No.205  Entry No.93  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: About four hundred metres from the Creu de la Llosa dolmen, following the footpath through the scrub to the southwest (note, go back down the track for about 25 metres from the dolmen to find the path - it is not the "obvious" path leading away from the dolmen), around the southern side of the ridge, and you will find another dolmen of similar type.

This dolmen, which again I assume restored, is slightly smaller, in a round cairn about 8 metres in diameter. The dolmen chamber is about 2 metres long by 1 metre wide, and covered with two small capstones, sitting on blocky side supports, only to about 1.2 metres in height. It has an entrance passageway, wider than the chamber, which is 4 metres long and opens up on an alignment of 120°, directly pointing towards a large and significant mountain peak. The capstones are both engraved, the front, larger one having multiple cupules with the faintest of some lines and cupules, while the smaller backstone has an extremely clear cross, with maybe some other, more fainter markings.

What a lovely place it is up here, pity the sky is cloudy and the views unclear. It also makes me wonder just how many more of these dolmens there are to be discovered in the forests up on these mountains.

Dolmen de la Rouyre

Trip No.205  Entry No.94  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: High up on this mountain ridge between the villages of Fesluns and Ansignan in Pyrénées-Orientales can be found the remains of this cute little dolmen. I followed signs from Ansignan, but walked because I was not going to get the camper van up the steep, tiny, windy little roads, but a small car would get fairly close. I had no idea how far it was going to be to the dolmen, and perhaps wouldn't have started out had I known in advance. It turned out to be almost an hour brisk uphill walk before I made it to the dolmen.

It's a tiny little thing, just 2 metres in length by 1 metre wide, and a metre high. Two small capstones rest on 3 and 2 side supports, with a back stone and a half height stone at the front. There is evidence of a stone cairn, with encircling larger stones, about 8 metres in diameter. The chamber opens to the southwest at 240°, but perhaps this is the back. Maybe some of the chamber has disappeared, and it is possible that there was an entry corridor towards the southeast, but it is very hard to tell.

Was it worth the couple of hours of steep uphill walk for the visit? yes and no. The views were lovely once up here, and there were some beautiful butterflies to be seen in amongst the vines near the top of the ridge. Apart from driving to a closer position in a small car, it is possible that you could approach this dolmen from the west, which may also make it much easier to find.

Dolmen de la Creu de Falibe

Trip No.205  Entry No.91  Date Added: 5th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This lovely restored dolmen can be found in the hills to the south of the village of Saint-Michel-de-Llotes. Travelling south, turn left at the village beside the Catalane museum, over the bridge. Follow this road for several kilometres, twisting and turning up into the mountains, to the Col de la Croix de la Falibe. Its further than you would think, and you even start going downhill again before you get there, but once there its obvious, and has a sign to the dolmen along the large track to the left, with plenty of room to park. If you're feeling adventurous, it would be possible to drive along this stoney track, as I was walking along it a car did in fact pass me.

Go about a kilometre along the track, and at the top of the ridge you will fond the dolmen, contained within its circular cairn. The chamber is rectangular, 2.5 m by 1.5 , surrounded on all four sides by upright slabs. The capstone is supported on the two long sides by the side slabs, while at the ends the slabs do not reach the top. The chamber is paved, and has a single capstone on top, which is only 2.5 metres by 1.5 metres, just big enough to cover the chamber. The capstone is heavily carved, and has many cupules, lines and crosses engraved into the top. The crosses are made by joining between 4 small cupules. Some of the cupules are quite large, up to 10 cm in diameter, and these larger cupules are linked together with larger engraved lines, making a sort of fish shape around the capstone. The whole top of the capstone is carved, and is most intriguing. The dolmen itself is contained within the remains of a stone cairn, about 10 metres in diameter, and with large stone edging all the way round.

This is a lovely place to visit, well worth the time, and the views nearby, although not from the dolmen itself, are splendid.

Dolmen Da Cova de l'Alarb

Trip No.200  Entry No.51  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2000. My rating: Access 3

Log Text: Weekend to explore Collioure area. Drive coast road Port Vendres, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cerbere, into Spain, Portbou, Platja de Garbet to Figueras. Beautiful but slow. Signs to dolmens. Dali Museum brilliant. Back to Collioure through mountains, Argeles-sur-Mer. Look for the dolmens near Collioure, Fairly long walk up past the Chateau de Valmy, but only found one.

Dolmen dit Collets de Collioure

Trip No.200  Entry No.52  Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Pyrénées-Orientales 66)
Visited: Yes on 26th Jun 2000. My rating: Access 3

Log Text: Weekend to explore Collioure area. Drive coast road Port Vendres, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cerbere, into Spain, Portbou, Platja de Garbet to Figueras. Beautiful but slow. Signs to dolmens. Dali Museum brilliant. Back to Collioure through mountains, Argeles-sur-Mer. Look for the dolmens near Collioure, Fairly long walk up past the Chateau de Valmy, but only found one.

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.

Estivaux Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.25  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the east of the village of Estivaux, this dolmen can be found in a field near to the sports stadium and a new housing development, just about 50 metres from the road. Its an odd little affair, and almost looks modern. The oval capstone, 3.5 m by 2.5 m sits on top of 4 support stones making a small chamber 2 metres by 1 metre inside, and about 1.5 metres in height. The support stones look to me to be quite new, perhaps an enthusiastic restoration job has been done, and it is all a bit too level. Unfortunately two of the support stones have been painted blue, and the ambience of the place is spoiled by the power cables directly overhead.

Dolmen de Rochesseux

Trip No.205  Entry No.26  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This little dolmen is found in a sort of parkland high up on the slopes of Puy de Pauliac, above the historical village of Aubazines. It is signposted from the road. A triangular 3 metres by 2 metres capstone sits delicately balanced on top of two side support stones and a back stone, with a chamber 2.5 metres long by 1 metre wide underneath. The two side stones are both pointed at the top, and the capstone sits only on their points, and the small backstone almost at the same place, overhanging substantially in all directions. The chamber faces eastwards, at a bearing of 080°. The capstone has a lovely ring to it when knocked.

Dolmen dit La Maison du Loup

Trip No.205  Entry No.24  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: About a kilometre from the village of Espartignac, this dolmen can be found along a signposted track from the village square near to the Bar Le Dolmen. It is found in thick woodland on the end of a defended headland overlooking the Vézère river, and is at the top of a cliff edge. The dolmen is in part made from natural rocks, with a couple of sideslabs and a capstone (now broken into two pieces) resting on a rocky outcrop. The capstone is about 3 metres by 2 metres, and sits about 2 metres above the floor of the chamber.

The headland has been fortified for many hundreds of years, perhaps even thousands. But what can be seen today, with a Motte surrounded by another flat and defended area, dates to post Roman times. There are also double ditches and banks at the south to defend from the landward side of the headland not surrounded by the river. This place is at the site of an important ford across the Vézère river, on the important route from northern France to the Mediterranean.

Puy de Pauliac Cromlech

Trip No.205  Entry No.27  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Yes on 1st Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: At the top of the lovely Puy de Pauliac hill to the east of the historical village of Aubazines, is an orientation table, and fantastic views stretching for many miles in nearly all directions, with the high point of the Massif Central, the Puy de Sancy to be seen way off in the east. Near to the top of this hill is marked a cromlech, and I almost didn't find it. The cromlech can be found a bit downhill to the north of the summit, and it is signposted, although the tiny little wooden sign is easily missed, hiding in the woodland.

In a clearing in the forest covered slopes, the cromlech is made with many stones, nearly all less than a metre tall, set up almost touching each other making an enclosure which is a sort of rounded square about 40 to 50 metres across. At the southern, upslope side, is a large outcrop of natural rocks, probably 10 to 15 metres high from which the cromlech extends, joining between other significant natural rocks, to close off the area.

It is very easy to imagine a gathering of people here, with the leader stood on top of the large natural rocks giving his sermon. Within the cromlech are several nicely weathered natural granite slabs, one of which has a large break in it. These would make good seats for the best view !

Dolmen de la Route Vieille

Trip No.205  Entry No.28  Date Added: 19th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Corrèze (19))
Visited: Couldn't find on 1st Sep 2005

Log Text: There is supposed to be a dolmen here, according to my notes, but there is nothing mentioned on any of my maps or on any of the village noticeboards or tourist publicity. Churches, a Chateau and caves are all mentioned, but no dolmen. Perhaps the dolmen is in a different village called Noailles.

Pierre Folle de Saint-Priest-la-Feuille

Trip No.204  Entry No.174  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: What a wonderful little dolmen this is, and so well kept and presented too. What a lovely surprise. It's a bit of a struggle to find from the village of Saint-Priest-la-Feuille (which is on one of the routes to Santiago de Compostella), but take the road towards Lizieres and eventually there are little signposts.

It is kept in a little parkland now, with a carpark, information board, and a windy path across a stream through a little wood and eventually to the dolmen on top of the hill, all in about 100 metres from the roadside. You can see the dolmen through a gap from the road, but then not again until you are nearly there, so well landscaped and routed the pathway is.

The dolmen itself is such a wonderful pretty thing, one of the nicest dolmens I have ever seen, if not the prettiest. The capstone has a flat bottom, but a very rounded top, and it is sat on top of six closely spaced side supports. The dolmen's entrance is at the west, as many of the dolmens round these parts seem to have, and there seems to be traces of an entry passage with stones in the ground. The supports are quite tall and thin, and are closely spaced without any real gaps, and all lean slightly inwards towards the top. Unfortunately, one of the side stones is broken. The chamber below is circular, and about 3 metres in diameter, and there is plenty of height to stand up inside. But for me, it is the shape that does it. It is a bit like a badminton shuttlecock, or a cartoon spider or crab, but to me it mostly made me think of a spaceinveder ro suchlike.

Of course, with a dolmen like this there are plenty of legends. One is that the stones all have a dance at midnight on Christmas Eve. Another has it that any girl who slides down from the top will be married before the year is out (whether or not in "birth knickers" I know not!). Yet another legend is long and complex, but involves the devil and dancing.

Strangely, it is not quite on the top of the hill, but just 30 metres from it. The hilltop, just to the north, looks to have a mound built on top of it, I wonder whether there was another tomb here, and perhaps was once another dolmen ? Fabulous.

Pierre Bercé (Naillat)

Trip No.204  Entry No.177  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Signposted south from Colondannes, it was however only the one signpost and then 5 kilometers of guessing the way ! From the village of Naillat take the road out to the east at the back of the village, turn left at the cemetary, cross over the river and then go to the left. The Pierre Bercé is then to be found in a fenced off field about 40 metres from the road at a bend. It is on a little spur and looks out over the stream below, and is about 3 metres high.

Dolmen dit Pierre-la-Fade

Trip No.204  Entry No.178  Date Added: 21st Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: To the west of Aubusson, go through the village of Blessac and take the road west to Sagnas. Continue right through the hamlet until the road runs out at a forest, and becomes a dusty trackwith some marked forest walk footpaths. Within 100 metres, down a little track into the forest, the dolmen can be found.

Its a pleasant enough dolmen, made of fairly rounded granite slabs, with a 3 metres by 2 metres capstone sitting on top of two side and one back slab, completely open to the south east. Unfortunately, as with many of these places, its been used for beer drinking and fires, with lots of litter around.

Dolmen d'Urbe

Trip No.204  Entry No.180  Date Added: 21st Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: In stark contrast to many places, the lovely medeival city of Crocq is proud of its dolmen, which I wasn’t going to bother with as it looks difficult to find on the big map. However, its shown on all the town maps, and clearly signposted along Route du Dolmen from the town. And they sell postcards of it !!!

Its a pleasant 500 metre walk from a parking place, slightly uphill and into the forest. The dolmen is a pleasant, pretty thing made of granite blocks. The massive capstone sits on six closely spaced support stones making an oval chamber about 2.5 m by 1.5 m in size, and about 1.5 m high. Unfortunately a seventh support stone at the back has fallen inwards, leaving a big opening. All the support stones have flat face inwards, and lean slightly in towards the top, a bit like the wonderful Pierre Folle de Saint-Priest-la-Feuille. The entrance to this dolmen is at the eastern end.

To find their husband here, the local girls have to jump over the dolmen - quite a hard task I would imagine !

Saint-Hilaire Dolmen

Trip No.204  Entry No.175  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Jul 2005

Log Text: I could not find this, despite it being clearly marked on my ign 1:100,000 map. However, it seem to be no longer marked on any new maps, I wonder whether it is a casualty of the N.145 trunk road, or whether it is still to be found somewhere near to the big road junction.

Dolmen de la Pierre Euberte

Trip No.204  Entry No.176  Date Added: 20th Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 22nd Jul 2005

Log Text: I thought that I perhaps saw this dolmen on its hillside position, but I could find nowhere to park, and saw no obvious way through the houses and fields to get to where I thought it was.

Dolmen de la Croix Blanche (Felletin)

Trip No.204  Entry No.179  Date Added: 21st Aug 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Limousin:Creuse (23))
Visited: Couldn't find on 23rd Jul 2005

Log Text: To the east of Felletin, on the D.10 road to Crocq, is supposedly this dolmen, at the hamlet of Croix Blanche. I looked long and hard but found nothing except for a sign telling me about it, and how it had had a grant from various people for restoration in 1987-89. Apparently its an Angevin dolmen, but whether its in the dense woodland, or in the field of tall sweetcorn, I do not know! There was nobody around to ask.

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.