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large pictures of two of the most impressive tombs in the South of France

 

 

 

SOME MEGALITHS OF THE PAS-DE-CALAIS
near Arras

adapted from the web pages of Jacques Brasme
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jacques.brasme/jacques.brasme/BonnetImages.htm

 

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1. SAILLY-en-OSTREVENT: Standing-stones known as
Les Bonnettes or The Seven Maidens

At the south-eastern extremity of the département,
15 kms due East of Arras,
close to the Grande Randonnée (long-distance footpath) 121,
and close also to a motorway bridge, just SW of Sailly-en-Ostrevent.

The legend (which may simply imitate many others of the same kind)
is that one Sunday six maidens and a musician (presumably male)
danced on the tumulus instead of going to Mass
- and were consequently turned to stone.

Some think that the stones are aligned toward three significant sources of water:
towards the spring running at the foot of the dolmen of Hamel (5 kms E by N),
towards the spring of St John at Monchy-le-Preux (6 kms WSW),
towards the well of Sainte-Saturnine at Sains-les-Marquion (12 kms SE)
and towards the artesian well of La Brogne at Rémy (2 kms SSE).

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2. HAMEL: Dolmen known as The Enchanter's Table or "La Pierre à Chavattes"
20 kms E of Arras and marked 'Dolmen' on the Michelin maps.

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3. OISY-LE-VERGER: Menhir known as Le Gros Caillou (The Big Stone),
3 metres high.

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4. LÉCLUSE: menhir known as The Devil's Stone, or Stone of Stones

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From this stone, 3.5 metres high and weighing perhaps 17 tonnes,
the sites of Hamel, Oisy and Les Bonnettes can be seen.

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5. FRESNICOURT: Dolmen known as Bises-Pierres (The Kissing Stones)
or La Table des Fées (The Fairies' Table).
18 kms NNW of Arras, and marked 'Dolmen' on the Michelin maps.

This is only surviving dolmen of four
originally linked by stone-rows.

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All these sites may already be linked by a Grande Randonnée footpath.

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All Photos are © by Jacques Brasme