Dolmen du Belvédère

Trip No.205  Entry No.139  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 17th Sep 2005

Log Text: St Michel de Grandmont Priory visit. There are no longer any free visits round the grounds, and I can only do the guided tour of the priory and grounds after. They say its something to do with animals in the park, and its quite disappointing. I do the full tour, its a half price day, so its €5 and 2 hours of visit. Despite being led to believe I would see all the dolmens, I only got to see the Coste-Rouge dolmen and the odd stones, and not the other two dolmens within the grounds.

The Dolmen du Belvédère is somewhere near the Belvedere viewpoint, but disappointingly I didn’t see this dolmen while on my tour.

Cazarils tombe ovale 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.187  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Just to the north of the little town of Viols-le-Fort, take the little road towasrds Cazarils, and park by a little clearing in the wood after about 1.5 km, not quite at the top of the hill. Here there is a footpath into the woods, well marked with blue markers. Follow this zig-zag path for about 300 metres and you soon find this nice little oval tomb, a style found regularly round these parts.

The outer edge of the tomb is about 8m by 6m, with the inner chamber about 4m by 2.5m, and open to the north. the inner edge of the chamber is formed of many upright slabs, generally about half a metre high. At the back of the chamber is a carved stone (a copy, as the original is safely kept in a museum) with a sort of face carved into it. It is quite well known, I have seen it before in many places. This is a pleasant little place, with sheep bells clanging all around.

Les Ecuelles du Diable

Trip No.205  Entry No.141  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Holed Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 17th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Within the grounds of the St Michel de Grandmont Priory there are many strangely shaped and carved rocks. There are stories of sacrifice, and there being channels cut in the rocks for the blood to run through. Several of the rocks seem to have been cut into what are possibly thrones. A very strange area.

Grandmont Menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.140  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 17th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: This menhir is about 1.5 metres high, 2 metres width, and standing in an area with many other strangely shaped and carved rocks.

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.

Cazarils tombe ovale 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.188  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: About 50 metres further round on the footpath from Cazarils tombe ovale 1, is found this second oval tomb, but it is hiding in the bushes a bit. It is much bigger than the first, but does not have the wonderful carved headstone. The inner chamber is about 4m by 2.5m, and the walls are generally 1m high. It's cairn of stones is much bigger also, but unfortunately was getting very overgrown with bushes, making photos of the whole thing very difficult.

Village Préhistorique de Cambous

Trip No.205  Entry No.184  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4

Log Text: This is a 5000 year old village with two groups of houses found at Viols Laval, just to the south of St Martin-de-Londres, and is easily found because it is signposted from all around. To get there, park in the village and it is about an 800 metre walk to the site, but unfortunately for me towards the end of September, it had just shut last weekend and would not be open again until next easter !

However, despite not being able to get into the fenced off site, I could see some of the excavated houses through the fence. In two main groups, the houses consist of very long buildings arranged side by side. There a reconstructed dwelling a bit further into the complex, which I could not get to see properly. This was all a big shame, as this was one of the sites I have been particularly looking forwards to seeing throughout my entire trip.

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.

Statue menhir de La Pomarède

Trip No.205  Entry No.115  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Right outside the tourist office at Fraisse-sur-Agout, next to a wall behind a big tree display thing, is the top 90 cm of this statue menhir which must have once been 2 metres tall. It is very difficult to make out any markings, with it being in dark shadow and very moss covered. I am starting to think that museums are the best places for viewing these statue-menhirs.

Col-de-la-Bole menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.118  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Driving west along the D.14 road towards Le Salvetat, in a rush to get diesel and washing done, I saw a sign to menhir Col-de-la-Bole, so of course I just had to go and have a look. At the top of a steep track is the broken off top of a statue-menhir, only about 0.75 metres of it, with its back having had a bishops cross carved into it. I saw no carvings on the front, although supposedly there are some, but I was in a bit of a rush.

Statue menhir de Picarel

Trip No.205  Entry No.114  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Going north along the D.169 road from the Col de la Bane to the south of Fraisse-sur-Agout, and at a large corner in the road is a little lane to the west signed to Haut Picarel. About 300 metres down this track, and into a wood, you will find the menhir beside the trackway.

This finely shaped menhir stands over 2 metres tall, and looks out down the valley to the southwest. The only obvious markings and carvings on the stone are relatively modern, a deep cut halfway up, and some circles in the upper part. The original statue-menhir carvings have become so faint as to be almost invisible these days, although 180 years ago, when this chap was first discovered, they were clear enough. With a lot of will power, I was able to make out its belt around the back, but nothing else, although the stone itself is very obviously shaped into the right form. It was very difficult to photograph, with the strong sunlight coming thought the trees creating dappled shadows on the stone.

Where I was parked up here, there was a lady sat in a field reading, with several dogs, in amongst a large flock of sheep and goats. I assume she was the shepherdess, as the dogs were not at all concerned, nor were the sheep.

Statue menhir de Cambayssy

Trip No.205  Entry No.117  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: Traveling along the D.14 road west from Fraisse-sur-Agout towards Le Salvetat, take the right turn after a couple of kilometres towards Cambayssy. The menhir is signposted (Le Pioch), and is a kilometre or so up a steep winding lane.

In some woods, this gorgeous statue-menhir can be found beside the lane, and is about 1.3 metres tall, and beautifully shaped. And at last, I have found a statue-menhir where some of his features can be clearly seen. Belt, legs, shoulder strap "objet" and knife, and his arms coming down diagonally from his shoulders. There are maybe a couple of eyes, but I cant see much of a head though.

La Draille Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.189  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Just to the north of the little town of Viols-le-Fort, take the little road towards Cazarils, and park by a little clearing in the wood after about 1.5 km, not quite at the top of the hill. Here there is a footpath into the woods, well marked with blue markers. Follow this zig-zag path for about 300 metres and you soon find the nice little Cazarils tombe ovale 1, with a bit further on the second one. At this point the blue paint marker points have become very faint, and are very hard to follow, and the path could go anywhere in this scrub. Take a track to the right, and after about 150 metres of zig zagging about through the scrub and over difficult loose stone you should reach this dolmen. Watch out in particular for a large pot hole before you get there, it looks to be very deep.

The dolmen is contained within a large mound of stones with a drystone wall built over the top of it. The chamber still has a capstone but is drystone walled, about 5m long by 2 m wide. It has a very long entrance passageway which is slab lined, and about 7 metres in length, leading off towards the south west at about 235° again. This number keeps cropping up around these parts.

Carrières Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.190  Date Added: 25th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Just outside the little town of Viols-le-Fort, to the west, take the road south towards the quarry. After 300 m the road either enters the quarry or goes around to the left. Park here. In the woods just to the right, beyond an old disused little quarry can be found the remains of this dolmen, with its massive backslab giving its position away. It is in a large mound of stones, and got lots of rubbish strewn about all over it.

The massive chamber is about 4 metres square, and apart from the 6 metre by 3 metre high backslab, is made using drystone vaulting. There seems to be an anti-chamber, 2m by 2m before an entry passageway opening west at about 250°, bu it is a bit of a mess at this end. There appears to be a ring of large slabs around the outside. Apart from all the junk, this would be a pretty impressive monument, and would be a prime contender for some sort of restoration.

Gallardet Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.145  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 18th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This really was a bugger to find, but when you find it, you wonder why.

Initially I went to where it is marked on the map, there's a big farm there called Ferme-le-dolmen, but no obvious sign to it. Reading my book says that go to the town centre and follow signs from there. I eventually found the town centre but missed any signs, so I had a second go. The roads are tiny, and no way the camper van will get through there, and probably not a car either. Perhaps its a park and walk job, but I could find nowhere to park. Oh well, maybe tomorrow, time is getting on and I don't know where to camp for the night.

The next day, on my third attempt to find it, it took me half an hour to park in the village, then over an hour to find the dolmen, having asked several people. The trick is not to miss the right turn on the road out of the village, and keep going almost to the end of the ridge, above the farm.

The dolmen has been much restored, but it is well worth the effort to get here. It is completely within its mound, and the access corridor, which is 5 metres long and between 1 and 1.5 metres wide, leads to an outside chamber 2.5 metres long and 2.5 metres wide. This leads on to a wonderful oven door stone, which has been put back together from three pieces. The stone is 2 metres high, and has a door 1 metre wide and 1.2 metres in height cut into it.

Beyond this is the main chamber, 6 metres long and up to 4 metres wide, and easily high enough to stand up in. It is constructed with a sort of barrel vaulting, and then capped with large slabs, three of which are in place (of a probable four). There is a lovely shaped backstone. Unfortunately the chamber fills with rainwater and mud. All of the three parts of the passage are dry stone walled, there are no upright slabs except to divide the sections. The entrance passageway opens towards the west, at 232°, with a slight uphill slope.

This is a really lovely dolmen, but thats the entire morning gone. There are gorgeous views northwards over the Hérault valley.

Coste-Caude menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.148  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 18th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Just below the top of the hill below Coste-Caude dolmen 1, there is a track to the west, with what looks like, and is marked on the maps as a menhir. It is however a sculpture of a prehistoric man from about the year 1910, and his features can be made out when looking closely. This stone is about 2 metres tall, and whether it was carved and then put here, or carved on an original menhir I do not know, but its nice to look at.

Levade Menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.153  Date Added: 11th Nov 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 18th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Three kilometres further down the road from the Grand Dolmen du Ferrussac, where it curves around to the right, is this 3 metre tall manhir in the field to the left of the road. It has been re-erected, and is now concreted into the ground. It looks to have been smoothed and shaped, and does not look a natural shape rock. A nice one.

Dolmen de Lauriol 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.107  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: From Siran, follow the signs to the Curiosité de L'Auriol, which takes you on a windy road north up onto the hills. The Curiosité is a weird bit of road where things seem to roll uphill - a trick of the eye over gravity. From here take the road left for half a kilometre to a big house (being done up in 2005) in amongst pine trees, and go beyond this to a track down to the left. Follow this track, and turn right at the junction with the trackway from the big house, then after a couple of hundred metres, the Grand dolmen de Lauriol is obvious at the left of the path.

Its a bit of a wreck, and becoming overgrown, but the 4m by 2m chamber, still within a mound of stones, is worth a look. The large capstone is now broken and fallen off to the side. This seems a good candidate for a bit of restoration. There are beautiful views from up here on the southern edge of the Montagne Noire.

Dolmen de Lauriol 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.108  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Sep 2005

Log Text: Nearby to the Grand dolmen de Lauriol are supposedly two more, smaller and more degraded dolmens. I had a good look around, but much of the land round here has been recently fenced off and I could find nothing obvious amongst the prickly scrub and undergrowth.

Dolmen de Lauriol 3

Trip No.205  Entry No.109  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Sep 2005

Log Text: Nearby to the Grand dolmen de Lauriol are supposedly two more, smaller and more degraded dolmens. I had a good look around, but much of the land round here has been recently fenced off and I could find nothing obvious amongst the prickly scrub and undergrowth.