Showing 1-50 of 3,111 posts. Most recent first | Next 50 
Visited 17.09.23
There is a hidden dolmen c. 450m SW of the Le Chat Noir roundabout on the D781. A cul-de sac signed to Kerganoff is 300m SW of the roundabout. Follow the narrow lane for c. 200m to a dead-end. Dolmen de Kermané is on the left in a private garden. I was limited to taking pictures from outside the fence.
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Visited 17.09.23
Dolmen de Kercadoret is a neglected site in a shrubby wood N of the D781 on the NE edge of Kercadoret. There is a path off the D781 into a field on the NE edge of Kercadoret. Follow round the edge of the wood for c. 80m then follow the wood N for c. 20m to reach a vague path into the wood. Head NW for c. 20 yards through shrubbery to find the hidden dolmen. It is located at 47.58981 -2.9781 if you have a GPS app.
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Visited 16.09.23
The only alignments open to walk through on my visit were Menec and Kerlescan. Alignements de Kerlescan was the more impressive of the two with taller stones in the rows.
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Visited 16.09.23
Géant du Manio is a high and handsome standing stone in Manio Forest. The massive menhir reaches up to 6.5m. It is well sign-posted on a forest path c. 40m ESE of Quadratiere du Manio.
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Visited 16.09.23
Dolmen de Kermario is located in the SW corner of Alignement de Kermario, c. 40m SW from the nearest stone. It has the appearance of an Allee Couverte.
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Visited 16.09.23
The Alignements de Kermario were the most impressive of the Carnac Alignments due to the length of the stone rows and the impressive height of the megaliths forming the rows. Unfortunately I had to be content with external views of the stones as access was restricted. The best views were to be had from the Old Windmill platform.
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Visited 16.09.23
A one-way road is now in place adjacent to the Alignements de Ménec. It is possible to walk E from the Maison des Megalithes along the Alignements de Ménec but you must drive W along the road following the stone rows. It is a c. 4 km walk E along the Carnac alignments. After visiting Alignements de Ménec and Toulchignon I elected to return to the Maison des Megalithes. I drove the loop to Alignements de Kermario Car Parking to continue my tour.
It is possible to take the Petit Train or several other Carnac alignment tours located on the approach to the Maison des Megalithes. Parking at the Maison des Megalithes is free.
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Visited 16.09.23
Tumulus de St Michel is located on the NE edge of Carnac. Hotel du Tumulus is conveniently located adjacent to the giant mound. A small chapel is perched on the summit of the mound. There are two modern entrances, on the S and W sides, into the two chambers and passages buried within the tumulus. However, these are only accessible on guided tours. Despite the encroachment of modernity, Tumulus de St Michel manages to retain its gravitas.
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Street View of Dolmen de Lannek-er-Men
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Visited 15.09.23
Dolmen de Lannek-er-Men is located in Port Brillac, a small village c. 4 km NW of Sarzeau in Morbihan. The chamber of this dolmen measures c. 3m x 2m x 0.6m. Two medium-sized capstones are supported by several orthostats on the NE and SW sides. There is a large floor slab in the NW half of the chamber.
The dolmen is wedged into a corner against a hedge in a grassy area, used as a car park on my visit. In fact, a BMW bumper was almost touching the dolmen. My picture options were restricted to lateral views.
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Visited 15.09.23
Menhir de Kermaillard is a massive standing stone, sub-rectangular in cross section, measuring c. 1.7m long and 1.2m wide. This dressed pillar rises to a point at c. 4m. There is a square measuring c. 0.6m and a crescent carved in bas-relief on the base of the WSW face. A small axe carved on the left of the square is no longer visible. Proposed carvings on the ENE face are not visible in bright light.
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Visited 15.09.23
Allee Couverte de Grah-Niol is located on a narrow lane on the Northern edge of Arzon. There is convenient parking 50m N of the site. Unfortunately there is a low fence round the allee-couverte denying any internal access. This is unfortunate as there are carved stones inside the passage of the monument. A standing stone is erected on the E end of Allee Couverte de Grah-Niol, on the roadside.
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Visited 15.09.23
It is only 6 euros to access the Cairn de Petit Mont. Given the size and quality of the site that is good value. It includes a group tour in French of the Cairn & Dolmen 3a, which is off limits without a tour guide. I requested some English commentary and the guide was obliging enough to give me a short lecture in English in the chamber. I was also able to take photos.
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Directions to Cairn de Petit Mont: Take the signed turn from the central roundabout in Arzon onto Rue de Lenn Vihan. Follow this road for c. 1.4 km to reach a car park for Cairn de Petit Mont. A path starts in the SW corner of the car park. Follow this path SW for 240m. Turn left and walk 50m to the entrance of the Cairn de Petit Mont.
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Visited 15.09.23
Cairn de Petit Mont is a large pentagonal cairn perched on a headland South-West of Arzon in Morbihan. The elevated position has extensive sea views and enables the cairn to be seen from afar. The unusual shape of the cairn, which currently measures 55m long by 55m wide, may be a result of its multi-phase construction. According to the tour booklet a mound covering a closed chamber (Chamber 1) was constructed in c. 4600 BC. The mound measured 50m x 19m x 1.6m. A stone cairn, measuring 22m long and 12m wide was erected over the mound c. 100 years later. 700 years later a chambered cairn with one accessible chamber (Chamber 2) was built over the original cairn. After another 1100 years a fourth phase of building occurred in 2700 BC. The cairn was modified and extended. Chamber 2 was blocked off and Chamber 3a and 3b were built, accessed by passages from the East side of the new cairn.
Unfortunately, this was not the final modification of Cairn de Petit Mont. Due to its strategic position on the coast Hitler order the construction of a concrete bunker within the cairn in 1943. The bunker was built in the SE side of the cairn. This modification completely destroyed Chamber 3b and partially destroyed the passages of Chamber 2 and Chamber 3a. The cairn was neglected until 1979 when archaeological excavations resulted in the final phase of modifications, completed in 1989. As a result Chamber 3a and its passage were restored. We also have access to Chamber 2 via the Bunker. The facades of the cairn were modified into a series of 3 steps with a flat roof.
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Visited 15.09.23
I stumbled across Tumulus de Tumiac while waiting for the Petit Mont Cairn to open; Mad dogs and Scotsmen go out in the midday sun. I saw the mound on the horizon and experienced the usual gravitational attraction. A path to Tumulus de Tumiac is conveniently located in a lay-by on the E edge of Arzon in a long straight on the D780. The site is closed to the public, a relatively common state of affairs in my experience, so I contented myself with a distant view. The grassy mound measures 86m in diameter and 20m high according to the information board. A central tomb, measuring 4.4m x 2.4m x 1.75m, is covered by successive layers of clay. The mound has been dated to 4790 BC.
The mound is known locally as Butte de Cesar (Caesar's Mound). He is reputed to have witnessed a naval battle from the summit of Tumulus de Tumiac in 56 BC.
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Visited 15.09.23
I travelled to the Cairn de Gavrinis via a pre-booked trip from Port-Navalo with Le Passeur des Iles on a 20 person boat. The journey to the island took around 20 minutes. There was an organised lecture on the Cairn de Gavrinis in French for around 30 minutes before we were allowed to enter the passage in small groups. We were allowed free access to the passage and chamber, which are lit by subdued lighting, for 5 minutes. There were no restrictions on photography allowing me to take some good pictures of the carved stones in the passage and the chamber. The boat was waiting at the end of the tour. I would recommend this trip though I could have done without the extended lecture in French.
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Visited 14.09.23
Access to this monument has been restricted by a low fence round the perimeter. There is an official sign denying permission to enter the dolmen. I respected this request reluctantly because I would have liked to see the carved stones in the monument.
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Visited 14.09.23
Mané-er-Hroëck tumulus is easily visited via a signed footpath on Rue de Kerpenhir. The chamber entrance is obviously modern but that doesn't detract from the atmosphere in the plain chamber in the centre of the tumulus.
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Showing 1-50 of 3,111 posts. Most recent first | Next 50
I love to travel, especially to antiquarian sites. I'm working through the extensive Cornwall site list with an annual week holiday. Avebury is my favourite spiritual destination. Las Vegas is my favourite sinful destination.
I also enjoy hill climbing however as time passes the hills grow steeper. I have climbed around 30 munros, however, I've also climbed The Cobbler, Stac Pollaidh and Suilven so height is not the only criteria.
I used to play golf (9 handicap) and support Queen of the South however I gave up both bad habits. Horse racing was a more recent obsession. Epsom and Newmarket are my favourite racecourses. At the moment my current obsession is music gigs: Arcade Fire, Dinosaur Jr, Sparks, Jesus and Mary Chain and Belle & Sebastian, my favourite band.
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