Moth

Approximate coordinates only

I was unable find (or even look for) this for extremely frustrating reasons, see my notes for Dolmen de la Caucalière.

Approximate coordinates only

I didn’t find this but I didn’t really get a chance with some ill-luck. Bruno Marc’s description in Dolmens et Menhirs en Languedoc et Roussillon says it’s about 400m to the west of Flouirac farm with private access. (There’s also the Menhir de la Caucalière near it.)

When I arrived at the farm there was nobody about to ask even after knocking at the door. So I was was just going to write a note to put on the windscreen of my car & set off anyway, when an elderly woman called from the upstairs window. She spoke unusually perfect English but what she said, I didn’t want to hear. She claimed that there was no dolmen other than Dolmen de Flouirac back down on the road!

I’m not sure if this was a blatant lie, but there wasn’t much I could do. It did occur to me to drive back down to the road, park, and then sneak back on foot. But I didn’t really have time & wasn’t comfortable enough with that degree of subterfuge.

I’ve been unable to find any photos or confirmation that the site still exists, though a quick Google search shows it is mentioned on some geocaching websites – suggesting it’s still there....

Dispirited by 2 failures in a row & pressed for time, I went back down to the road & after another vague scan for Dolmen de Flouirac, I started the long drive back to Arles.

Approximate coordinates only

I couldn’t spot this one from the road, but had a long journey back to our cottage near Arles ahead of me and a couple of other more promising (I thought) dolmens to try to find. I’ve seen photos of it & it’s a nice little thing! (Curses – especially as I couldn’t find the others I’d got planned!)

Apparently it’s very close to the road but difficult to spot as it’s masked by bushes.

Location slightly doubtful: I’ve placed this where I remember it, which fits in with Bruno Marc’s description in Dolmens et Menhirs en Languedoc et Roussillon (which is how I found it) so I’d have thought it must be right. It also looks about right on Googlemaps. However, it may be worth knowing that t4t35.fr puts it at the other end of the village on the other side (south) of the road.

Access: Visible from the road across a field just past the last buildings of the little village of Le Barral. Bruno Marc & I reckon it’s on the eastern edge of the village, to the north of the road. Seems to be on private property with no obvious access.

Visited Saturday 8 September 2007
A ruined but easily recognisable little dolmen built into a field wall. I didn’t try to approach it (see above) but just used a big lens....

Access: Easy – a short 100-200m walk along the tarmaced road from the wide farmtrack junction to the west where I parked for Menhir d’Avernat. Not sure if there’s anywhere closer.

Visited Saturday 8 September 2007
Another nice large characterful menhir, perfectly matching its partner Menhir d’Avernat on the other side of the road to the west.

Access: Easy – right by the road & with a wide farmtrack junction to park in.

Visited Saturday 8 September 2007
A nice large characterful menhir. Look out for its partner Menhir des Combes on the other side of the road to the east.

Access: Fairly easy – it’s pretty close to the road & unlike Cromlech de Lacam de Peyrarines, there are gates (I think!) It is on a bit of a slope, but it’s fairly gentle.

Visited Saturday 8 September 2007
I couldn’t believe it! Nearly as amazing & bonkers as Cromlech de Lacam de Peyrarines that I’d just come from! Another of the most spectacular sites I’ve ever been to and a bit more photogenic than Lacam de Peyrarines as it’s on a slope.

Like Peyrarines, it’s HUGE although quite a lot of stones are fallen or missing, especially on the east side (& the south I think, and others are hidden by bushes).

I (rightly in the end) figured the day could only go downhill from here, as I sat eating my lunch in the tiny bit of shade behind the largest stone to shelter from the blazing sun.

Access: Should be easy – it’s right next to the road. However, there was no easy access to the field (that I could find) other than hopping over the fence. I’m also sure I got some weird looks from passing locals. Perhaps it’s supposed to be no access, so you ain’t seen me, right?

Visited Saturday 8 September 2007
Amazing! Bonkers! One of the most spectacular sites I’ve ever been to. It’s HUGE and although some stones are fallen or missing, there are still far more than I could be bothered to count!

Spent ages trying, fairly unsuccessfully, to just get my head around the place & trying to photograph it. And I was virtually trotting around it as a result of a growing feeling that I wasn’t really supposed to be there (I could just be paranoid!)

One thing I learnt – if you ask me, it’s impossible to do the site as a whole justice in a photograph, except mebbe from the air.

Access: Easy – right next to road. Not sure if there any gates to go through – sorry, it was 2 years ago....

Visited Saturday 8 September 2007
Oo, nice! A dolmen still in its mound with a nice (exposed) entrance passage.

Allegedly, between here & Menhir de Serre de la Gleisa there is a ruined cromlech. I suspect there’s nothing to see, as Bruno Marc doesn’t mention it in Dolmens et Menhirs en Languedoc et Roussillon, but I could be wrong.