Mané-Groh Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.398  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Now this is more like it. Signposted and kept tidy in a pleasant forest glade with a nearby carpark, this tomb is found a few hundred metres to the northeast of Crucuno village. It is a large transepted dolmen with a central entry corridor 7 metres long, and two pairs of side chambers, each being about 1.5 metres by 2 metres, at the rear, western end. Each of the side chambers, and the entry passageway is covered, but unfortunately the large capstones over the main chamber between the sides have gone. It is still on the remains of quite a substantial mound, and has been built on top of an earlier, smaller chamber, another of which can be seen just 20 metres further behind the big dolmen.

This is right at the start point for a signposted "Megalithic walk" so I have decided that I will now follow this trackway on my bike. My first notebook is now full up, and my camera memory card also. Thankfully I was expecting this to happen, and have both another notebook and picture card with me in my bag. Signing off from book 1, and its over to book 2, which is unfortunately not in a ring binding form.

Coet-ar-Bei

Trip No.203  Entry No.399  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Travelling along the Chemin des Megalithes, I was wondering what would surprise me next, and the first thing I come to along this path has done it already. What on Earth is this ? Loads of big stones in a wood just off the track. At first it looked like another rectangle, but then I saw more stones. And more. And More.

Some of them are quite big and well over 3 metres tall. Some are lined up, perhaps about 10 rows, with the biggest stone in each row lined up perpendicular to each other, making a massive checkerboard formation. But they are not all in straight lines.

It is wonderful, I think I could spend hours here, but its already 6:00pm and I am getting further away, and not nearer to the van! Must get on. The Chaise de César is no doubt the large chair like menhir at the end of one of the rows. I couldn't get up there to have a sit down - its too high for me alone. I have just had a look at the maps, and none of this is marked on there.

La Chaise de César

Trip No.203  Entry No.400  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Travelling along the Chemin des Megalithes, I was wondering what would surprise me next, and the first thing I come to along this path has done it already. What on Earth is this ? Loads of big stones in a wood just off the track.

At first it looked like another rectangle, but then I saw more stones. And more. And More. Some of them are quite big and well over 3 metres tall. Some are lined up, perhaps about 10 rows, with the biggest stone in each row lined up perpendicular to each other, making a massive checkerboard formation. But they are not all in straight lines. It is wonderful, I think I could spend hours here, but its already 6:00pm and I am getting further away, and not nearer to the van! Must get on.

The Chaise de César is no doubt the large chair like menhir at the end of one of the rows. I couldnt get up there to have a sit down - its too high for me alone. I have just had a look at the maps, and none of this is marked on there.

Mané Braz tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.401  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: I am surprised yet again. Up on a hilltop a few hundred metres from the Chemin des Megalithes trackway (use off road bike) is signposted Mané Braz, up a little footpath.

The first thing you see is a lot of stones, which upon inspection are a double transepted passage grave similar to Mané Groh dolmen. The main passage is about 7 metres long facing south east, and has 4 chambers at the northwestern end, which are about 2 m by 1.5 m each. Most of the capstones are in place, except for the largest central one at the junction of all the chambers. The main entrance is a bit low, and a crawl to get through, but entry is easily possible through the end of one of the side chambers. Terrific.

A bit further up the hill from Mané Braz dolmen 1 can be seen more stones. This is a more straightforward passage grave dolmen, with a 3 metre by 2.5 metre chamber covered with a large slab, and an entrance passageway curving off towards the south, about 5 metres long. The first capstone to the passage is still in place.

Just next to the Mané Braz dolmen 2 at the top of the hill, are two more, smaller passage graves, each with curving passages about 6 metres long, and smaller slab sided chambers. The third grave still has a couple of capstones on an extension to the original oval chamber, but they are very low. The fourth grave is an oval slab sided chamber and curving entrance, but it has no remaining cover stones at all. It is very low, only about 30 cm in depth.

Surrounding the area are several standing stones. I can only assume that these are various rebuilds of newer larger burial chambers as the years went on, the bigger newer versions getting progressively further east. I may well be wrong of course. I wonder if it was all in one big mound at some point. But what a fantastic place, Do come here.

Mané Braz menhirs

Trip No.203  Entry No.403  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Just the other side of the footpath to the Mané Braz dolmens, down the hill, is a line of large stones still standing, each about a metre high. There are many other stones. I have no idea what this may be. Maybe a wrecked tomb of some kind.

Kerjean Menhirs

Trip No.203  Entry No.404  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005

Log Text: Travelling along the Chemin des Megalithes, to the west of the Mané Braz dolmens, are to be seen several megaliths within the woods. These are the Kerjean menhirs, but I don’t have enough time to explore every single stone around here. This really is a cracking ride along this path. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Géants de Kerzerho

Trip No.203  Entry No.405  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Coming along the Chemin des Megalithes from the east, the first thing you see is a large menhir, more than 4 metres tall, at the side of the path, with a couple of smaller stones fallen beside it. Then you notice the fallen giant of the Pierre des Sacrifices, 6 metres long and nicely smoothed, upon which I sat writing this.

Then you see a path going behind this, which opens up through the undergrowth to reveal the whole row of Giants. It would seem that the two massive stones at this northern end of the row are not on the same line. Could they have been from a second row of alignements ? This was another pleasant surprise.

Further along are the real giants. Two standing and two fallen, more than six metres tall I would think. It looks like one of the flat fallen stones may have been used as a dolmen with a chamber underneath it. Perhaps they are not fallen giants. Maybe this is the true Pierre des Sacrifices. Whatever this all is here, its a wonderful place.

I must have been having too much fun and am being punished. I am feeling the start of gout coming on and I don't have any tablets with me. And when I get back to my bike I find I have a puncture. ARSE. Mend the puncture at the Kerzerho Alignements.

La Table du Sacrifice

Trip No.203  Entry No.406  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Pretty much in the middle of the Géants de Kerzerho are two fallen giants, more than six metres long. It looks like one of the flat fallen stones may have been used as a dolmen with a chamber underneath it.

Perhaps they are not fallen giants. Maybe this is the true Pierre des Sacrifices. Maybe it was a fallen giant then used in later times for other purposes.

Whatever this all is here, its a wonderful place.

Kerzerho Alignements

Trip No.203  Entry No.407  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: It’s a pity about the busy road running through them, but they are here, looking superb in the sun and you can wander freely amongst them. However, I just want to get back now, having spent almost an hour fixing my bike. There is a Dutch couple here, the man spending ages taking photos with all sorts of kit. Three big bags worth. And wifey posing in front of the stones. These Dutch, eh ? There are a fantastic number of stones in the field here, some of them really lovely shapes.

Kergavat Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.408  Date Added: 14th May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 13th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: Right beside the busy D.781 road just to the south of Plouharnel, can be found this dolmen. In fact, the road has cut through the entrance corridor. This would have been a fairly big standard dolmen with a 4 metre or 3 metre chamber with a corridor to the south east. The single capstone sits on several supports, but its hard to think of this as a good one, being cut by the road, adjacent to a house, overgrown with oats and underneath some powerlines.

Carnac Musée de Préhistoire

Trip No.203  Entry No.413  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: There is lots of stuff in here, found at various places in the locality. Some good explanations of the various types of dolmen and tumulus to be found, and some lovely replicas of many of the engraved stones to be found. Seems like I have seen most of these now.

Kerroc'h Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.414  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: A 4 metre by 3 metre capstone sits one end in the air on two supports, while the other side is on the ground. There is one more bit of large stone here, which may be a support, or may be a broken bit of capstone. It would seem that the rest of the stones from this dolmen have been used to build the wall around the house opposite, a strange large gatewayed studio. But perhaps there was once some sort of cromlech here.

Kerroc’h cromlech

Trip No.203  Entry No.415  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Oppsite to the dolmen, the gently arced wall around the house (a strange large gatewayed studio) is made up using many large stones. Perhaps there was once some sort of cromlech here, like that at Crucuny, perhaps the wall is made usong large stones from the ruined dolmen.

Conguel Menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.428  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: This menhir, about 3 metres tall, has been moved to its current position just outside the SNCF holiday complex from a position nearby when building work was being undertaken. It now serves as a sort of garden feature, and is easily seen from the road.

Beg-er-Goalennec Menhirs

Trip No.203  Entry No.421  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: The first menhir is a sadly broken menhir right beside a restaurant on the Cote Sauvage roadside. It's 4 metres high with another 2 metres broken from the top laying beside it. It is over 2 metres wide and only 30cm thick. It has a strangely shaped neighbour between it and the sea.

The second menhir is a sort of heart shaped menhir (no doubt due to breakage) which stands 3 metres high right beside the Cote Sauvage road opposite a little restaurant and near to a car park. It is splendidly situated to sit and watch the waves break over this spectacular coastline.

Beg-er-Goalennec 1

Trip No.203  Entry No.420  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This is a nice menhir, less than 3 metres tall, standing in heathland just beside the Cote Sauvage road and cliffs. A splendid position. It probably gets covered in sea spray in rough weather from the blow hole nearby.

Manémeur 1 menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.423  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: This menhir is right in the central square of the hamlet of Manémeur. It is about 3 metres high, 2 m wide and 0.5 m thick, and has several cupules in its southern face. It is nowadays kept within a little circular flowerbed, unfortunately squeezed between roadsigns and parked cars while I was here, making pictures difficult.

Pointe de la Guérite allée couverte

Trip No.203  Entry No.426  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: This little allée couverte sits right on the clifftop, still surprisingly within its little cairn of stones, so what you get to see is its 6 capstones lined up facing away from the sea at 100°. It has been cut through by the road at the east end, so it is possible that it was longer than its current 6 metres. But what a superb position it occupies, overlooking the splendid Cote Sauvage.

Manémeur 2 & 3 menhirs

Trip No.203  Entry No.424  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4

Log Text: These are two good sized menhirs just inland from the Cote Sauvage, up a slight rise. The two of them are about 20 metres apart, the bigger one being higher up the slope. It is about 5 metres high, 3 metres wide and tapers upwards. Its smaller companion is about 3 metres high. Both have some lovely lichen growing on them.

Pointe de la Guérite menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.425  Date Added: 21st May 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 14th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is a relatively small menhir right above the cliffs of the magnificent Cote Sauvage, easily found between the clifftop path and the road.