Site Name
(A/D) |
Site Type |
Country
(A/D) |
County/ Region |
Visited?
(A/D) |
Date
(A/D) |
Cond |
Amb |
Acc |
Comments |
Trip Number
(A/D) |
Trip Order |
| Pierre Plantée (Cosqueville) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
5th Apr 2007 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
Looked like the best way on to St Lo from here is via St Pierre l'Eglise, so theres a couple more stones to check out ! Called in at this one, and despite the field it lives in being half ploughed, and half a muddy swampy mess, I was able to get in and up to the stone this time, although getting my feet covered in mud. The stone must be about 3 metres in height and nicely weathered and shaped, with some rainwater grooves running down one side. |
207 |
5 |
| La Longue Pierre (St-Pierre-Eglise) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
5th Apr 2007 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
I was able to get right to this lovely stone this time, although in a rush as there was nowhere to park and I left the car blocking the little lane. The stone stands about 4 metres tall in a very swampy field, and I got soaking wet feet while walking up to the stone, but at least it washed clean all the mud from La Pierre Plantée. It now has a little information post at the gateway to the field, and is numbered on a marked walk around the village...I was able to get right to this lovely stone this time, although in a rush as there was nowhere to park and I left the car blocking the little lane. The stone stands about 4 metres tall in a very swampy field, and I got soaking wet feet while walking up to the stone, but at least it washed clean all the mud from La Pierre Plantée. It now has a little information post at the gateway to the field, and is numbered on a marked walk around the village, so I must go and look for more information at St Pierre l'Eglise.
Read More |
207 |
7 |
| Pierre Dressée (Nègreville) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Couldn't find |
5th Apr 2007 |
|
|
|
There is supposedly a 1.6 metre tall menhir in the community of Negreville, but I could not find it, as it is not shown on any of my maps, nor on the village map outside the Mairie. I had a good look all around the churchyard but found nothing, and also at a place where a stele is marked, but this turned out to be a memorial to a crashed C.47 during the second world war. |
207 |
8 |
| Menhir dit Pierre Bottin |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
6th Apr 2007 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Despite being less than 200 metres down a farm track from the road between Dangy and Cerisy-la-Salle, I was not able to visit these stones, as people living in the house at the end of the track refused to let me walk down the lane to it. I could see the stone from the road nearby, and estimate it to be just under 2 metres tall and overlooking a stream to the north. It supposedly has a similar sized stone laying flat nearby. This is one to try ano...Despite being less than 200 metres down a farm track from the road between Dangy and Cerisy-la-Salle, I was not able to visit these stones, as people living in the house at the end of the track refused to let me walk down the lane to it. I could see the stone from the road nearby, and estimate it to be just under 2 metres tall and overlooking a stream to the north. It supposedly has a similar sized stone laying flat nearby. This is one to try another time, but from over the fields to the west.
Read More |
207 |
9 |
| Pierre de Mélier |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Couldn't find |
6th Apr 2007 |
|
|
|
There is supposedly a good sized menhir now contained within the walls of one of the buildings at Bas-Brainville. There are lots of old granite buildings here, but I could not find anything obvious. I asked the people at one of the houses, and they said that they knew there was a menhir somewhere, and had looked for it, but had been unable to find it. Another one I cant find. Not going too well this time round. |
207 |
10 |
| Pierre des Rouettes |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
6th Apr 2007 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
Beside a track near the top of the hill above the stream, a kilometre or so to the south of St Malo-de-le-Lande, can be found this menhir. It looks a lot like a natural lump of rock, but there are no others like it around here, so it has obviously been placed here. Almost 2 metres in length, by 1.5 metres by 1 metre in dimensions, it is probably fallen and with its top cut off. |
207 |
11 |
| Gouville-sur-Mer Menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
6th Apr 2007 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
Less than 1 km to the west of the little D.344 road between Gouville-sur-Mer and Blainville is to be found the sad remains of this menhir, and I discovered its existence because it is marked on the village map at St Malo-de-la-Lande. It is a couple of swampy sandy fields used for growing leeks and carrots away from the road, but marked on the ign 1:25,000 map, although many of the field boundaries on the map have been ploughed out. The stone is f...Less than 1 km to the west of the little D.344 road between Gouville-sur-Mer and Blainville is to be found the sad remains of this menhir, and I discovered its existence because it is marked on the village map at St Malo-de-la-Lande. It is a couple of swampy sandy fields used for growing leeks and carrots away from the road, but marked on the ign 1:25,000 map, although many of the field boundaries on the map have been ploughed out. The stone is fallen and in the ditch under a little tree, now seemingly in the middle of the swampy fields near to an electric pylon. The stone is about 1.8 metres in length, by 0.5 m wide by 0.4 m thick. This was a nice stone to find, especially as I did not know anything of its existence until an hour before I found it.
Read More |
207 |
12 |
| Droits a l'Homme |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
7th Apr 2007 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
This was a completely unexpected find while travelling westwards along the D.53 road towards the village of Geffosses, and about a kilometre outside the village. It is a modern menhir erected to commemorate an event where people here protested to ensure the rights of man. I could not completely understand what it was all about, and did not write anything down, so have now forgotten why and when this protest was made. The stone is a modern granite...This was a completely unexpected find while travelling westwards along the D.53 road towards the village of Geffosses, and about a kilometre outside the village. It is a modern menhir erected to commemorate an event where people here protested to ensure the rights of man. I could not completely understand what it was all about, and did not write anything down, so have now forgotten why and when this protest was made. The stone is a modern granite finger, which must be almost 8 metres tall, and has a barbed wire collar around it.
Read More |
207 |
14 |
| Geffosses Ecole-des-Filles |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
7th Apr 2007 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Built into the bottom corner of the old Girls School in the village of Geffosses, just to the south of the churchyard, can be seen this old menhir. It's about 2.2 metres long, by 0.6 metres wide by 0.3 metres in thickness, laying on its side with the old top jutting out into the street corner. It can be found right in the centre of the village, just outside the churchyard, to the southeast of the main village crossroads, down a tiny alleyway. I h...Built into the bottom corner of the old Girls School in the village of Geffosses, just to the south of the churchyard, can be seen this old menhir. It's about 2.2 metres long, by 0.6 metres wide by 0.3 metres in thickness, laying on its side with the old top jutting out into the street corner. It can be found right in the centre of the village, just outside the churchyard, to the southeast of the main village crossroads, down a tiny alleyway. I have no doubt that the church was originally built around the menhir, before it was later moved outside. I have since found out that there is another megalith to be seen here, in the church wall, to the left hand side of the entrance, or is it in the churchyard wall ?. Hmmmmm.
Read More |
207 |
15 |
| L'Oeuf de Gargantua |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
7th Apr 2007 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
A kilometre and a half to the south of the village of Geffosses, in the hamlet of Bretteville, was marked another megalith on the village map, so I had to go and have a look. It can be found just to the north of the river in a large farm, west of the road, with a little lane running through the farmyard. The megalith is a granite stone now made into a garden feature in an open area. The stone is about 2 metres in length, and looks a bit like a gr...A kilometre and a half to the south of the village of Geffosses, in the hamlet of Bretteville, was marked another megalith on the village map, so I had to go and have a look. It can be found just to the north of the river in a large farm, west of the road, with a little lane running through the farmyard. The megalith is a granite stone now made into a garden feature in an open area. The stone is about 2 metres in length, and looks a bit like a granite egg, up to 1 metre in diameter in the middle. It looks a bit like at some point somebody has tried to cut it in half, before giving up. This was another stone I knew absolutely nothing about until only half an hour before I found it, and again thanks to the village map. Its a pity that not all villages have these things marked on their maps. I have since found out that it is known as L'Oeuf de Gargantua, and has legends of treasure associated to it.
Read More |
207 |
16 |
| Truffert Dolmen |
Burial Chamber or Dolmen |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Couldn't find |
21st Sep 2007 |
|
|
|
Despite having read that this dolmen is supposedly destroyed, that does not always mean there is nothing left to see or find... So, having got off the car ferry at Cherbourg at some unearthly time in the pitch dark of the morning a few days ago, I decided to go for a drive round the area, firstly in the hope that there may be something marked on the village map (if it had one) or secondly that I might just happen to pass something that looked li...Despite having read that this dolmen is supposedly destroyed, that does not always mean there is nothing left to see or find... So, having got off the car ferry at Cherbourg at some unearthly time in the pitch dark of the morning a few days ago, I decided to go for a drive round the area, firstly in the hope that there may be something marked on the village map (if it had one) or secondly that I might just happen to pass something that looked like a dolmen or a significantly named house or road. Well, with all the modern roadworks and massive shops and factory outlets being built around here, it was not at all easy to find the village of La Glacerie, but eventually after negotiating roadworks and fighting the dustbin lorry for space on the steep windy lanes, I eventually got to La Glacerie-L'Eglise. Yes, there was a map, but no, there was no dolmen marked, nor any Rue du Dolmen, but there was a museum marked. So, as it was still well before any normal getting up time, I couldn't ask anyone, so decided to drive past the museum, and through the hamlet of Truffert on the way back to the main road out of Cherbourg to continue heading south. The museum was no help (not while it was closed anyhow), and there was nothing obvious driving slowly through Truffert. But, the hamlet was on the side of a ridge, with a trackway running along the top. What better place for a dolmen I thought, but wasn't going to spend any more time on what would no doubt be a complete wild goose chase.
Read More |
207 |
18 |
| Pierre à l'Homme |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Couldn't find |
23rd Sep 2007 |
|
|
|
A 2.2 metre tall menhir near to the village of St-Rémy-des-Landes in Normandy. Had a quick look for this today, but no luck. I had no idea where to find it, and the village didn't have a map, but I asked a man in his garden, and he advised me where to find the menhir, although he did not know it was called Pierre a l'Homme. He told me to travel north from the main street of the village, and take the second little lane on the left after crossin...A 2.2 metre tall menhir near to the village of St-Rémy-des-Landes in Normandy. Had a quick look for this today, but no luck. I had no idea where to find it, and the village didn't have a map, but I asked a man in his garden, and he advised me where to find the menhir, although he did not know it was called Pierre a l'Homme. He told me to travel north from the main street of the village, and take the second little lane on the left after crossing the stream..... So I did this, but could find nothing obvious, not helped by the lane being a couple of kilometres long. This coupled with some slightly impatient family, and it being the start of the hunting season, with people out shooting at anything, and I didnt find it. One for another time. It is obviously still here just waiting for me to find.
Read More |
207 |
21 |
| La Haute Pierre (St-Pierre-Eglise) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
28th Dec 2007 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
Having a few hours to spare before catching the Cherbourg ferry back, I decided to go and see if I could get close to this stone for a better look than I had been able to on my first visit here a few years ago. It had been mostly dry for a couple of weeks, and I was able to sneak into the empty field under the rickety gate and barbed wire closure, there being no cattle created swamp there this time. It is an interesting stone, which looks compl...Having a few hours to spare before catching the Cherbourg ferry back, I decided to go and see if I could get close to this stone for a better look than I had been able to on my first visit here a few years ago. It had been mostly dry for a couple of weeks, and I was able to sneak into the empty field under the rickety gate and barbed wire closure, there being no cattle created swamp there this time. It is an interesting stone, which looks completely different from each angle, and has some nice rainwater grooves running down one of its sides, and a nicely eroded top with sort of bowls and a pointy top. One of the "Three Princesses", this menhir stands almost 3 metres tall in a field to the northeast of St-Pierre-Eglise, at the northeastern part of the Cotentin peninsula. It is possible to see across a couple of fields from a parking place near to the little Chapelle Notre Dame at Hacouville, where there is a little noticeboard. Given good dry conditions, and empty fields, an approach right to the stone can be made, but be careful with the dodgy gate ! The legend of the "Three Princesses" states that they were all once about to get married, and that they had a great dowry treasure. The three princesses somehow ended up getting turned to stone, and their dowry is buried somewhere in the middle of the triangle formed by them. At this place there is now a lake, which it is said to have been formed because of all the digging taken place there in search of the treasure !
Read More |
207 |
23 |
| Trigalle dolmen |
Burial Chamber or Dolmen |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
28th Dec 2007 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
There was once a dolmen near to the hamlet of Trigalle, within the commune of Cosqueville at the northeastern part of the Cotentin peninsula, where approximately forty bronze axeheads were found. This dolmen is reported to have been destroyed in the early 1800s. However, have all traces of this dolmen been destroyed ? Or are there remains of it to be seen within the walls of a barn ? |
207 |
24 |
| Le Cul du Diable |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Visited |
28th Dec 2007 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
I had found out about a possible menhir in the commune of Cosqueville known as Menhir du Grand Manoir, but was not sure exactly where to find it, or indeed if it was another name for the nearby Pierre Plantée, one of Les Trois Princesses. On my latest trip to Normandy, I had a couple of hours spare before catching the ferry back from Cherbourg, so went for another look, this time first stopping to ask at the St Pierre Eglise tourist office. Apar...I had found out about a possible menhir in the commune of Cosqueville known as Menhir du Grand Manoir, but was not sure exactly where to find it, or indeed if it was another name for the nearby Pierre Plantée, one of Les Trois Princesses. On my latest trip to Normandy, I had a couple of hours spare before catching the ferry back from Cherbourg, so went for another look, this time first stopping to ask at the St Pierre Eglise tourist office. Apart from Les Trois Princesses, the friendly lady told me that there was indeed another ancient stone to be seen near to Le Grand Manoir, known as le "Cul du Diable" (the Devils Arse). I was told that this was incorporated into the "talus" (hedgebank) outside the Manoir, and that there was not much more than half a metre or so to be seen of this stone within the bank, but that it is buried quite deeply. So, I went to have a look, and parked at the roadside outside Le Grand Manoir, and wandered up and down the roadside looking for a convincing looking stone in the hedges ! There were many stones which looked like they could have been menhirs, but perhaps more likely were old gateposts, but then I found what I believe to be the correct stone. It is on the Manoir side of the road, perhaps 30 metres to the north of the entrance. Most of the stone is indeed enclosed within the hedgebank, but there is a clear part of it which is visible. The stone has clearly been worked, and is smoothed, with a depression within it - perhaps a foot from top to bottom, 6 inches wide and 3 inches deep. What convinced me that this is indeed something more than a bit of stone in the hedge, is that low down on the stone, below the grass level, was a few numbers in black indelible ink - the sort of thing they do in France - probably some sort of historical monument catalogue number. A great find - I was well pleased.
Read More |
207 |
25 |
| Menhir des Casernes |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
France |
Normandie:Manche (50) |
Couldn't find |
28th Dec 2007 |
|
|
|
While in the area over Christmas, I had a short time to look for this menhir. I believe I had read somewhere that it was beside a bend in the main road, and the hamlet of Casernes is pretty small, so hoped it would be relatively easy to find. I parked up at a big parking area near a bend in the main road, but this has all been straightened out and rebuilt sometime in the last ten years. The parking area had a noticeboard, but it was about the fi...While in the area over Christmas, I had a short time to look for this menhir. I believe I had read somewhere that it was beside a bend in the main road, and the hamlet of Casernes is pretty small, so hoped it would be relatively easy to find. I parked up at a big parking area near a bend in the main road, but this has all been straightened out and rebuilt sometime in the last ten years. The parking area had a noticeboard, but it was about the fishing and birds to be found in the new ponds and surrounding area..... I had a good look around, but no sign of a menhir anywhere, although there was an interesting donkey. Then moved on down to the coast at Fort Joret for a look around, and as driving through the Casernes hamlet I kept an eye open for any signs of a menhir, or significantly named house. I got a bit excited while rounding a bend (in the old road), at seeing a stone standing in a wall around the edge of a field, so went for a look. However, this stone had in the past been used as a gatepost, and I don't think it would have been a reused menhir. It somehow didn't seem right. I saw nobody around to ask, and there wasn't overly long to spend in the area before having to catch the ferry home, so didn't spend any more time here. So, another one to perhaps have a better look for at some point in the future.
Read More |
207 |
26 |
