We decided that Malestroit deserved another look so we went
back into the town and explored for an hour or so. The town is at the
confluence of the Brest-Nantes Canal and the L’Oust river. There were two weirs
on the L’Oust but there was no water running over them. They have obviously had
a dry period here but plaques showing the height of floods in the past shows
that this is not always the case.
Our next destination was Monteneuf for some more archaeology. Until 1989 only a few menhirs were known here but more were discovered and a full investigation started. In the end over 400 menhirs were found over a 6 hectare site. Most of the menhirs are not standing and it is thought that the site was deliberately destroyed in the Middle Ages. About 40 of the menhirs have been re-erected when the archaeologists had evidence of their original position. There is a very good walk around the site on good paths through woodland and scrub. Maps are available at the entrance and although the English copies had run out, it was easy to follow the route with the French version. Many boards explain the sites (in French) and there is a good area of reconstruction showing life in prehistoric times. Most impressive was the educational area dedicated to experimental archaeology where many ideas were shown for the methods of transporting and erecting the menhirs. The visit took us much longer than expected so we decided to find another aire rather than going on to the next site. We chose Maure de Bretagne where the aire overlooked a park and small lake. The services were good and there were three good hardstanding pitches and we had our choice. Unfortunately, the town is not at all interesting and the road noise and church clock lead to a disturbed night. Like some other churches in France that we have come across, the clock chimes the hour twice. So at 10 o’clock there are 10 chimes and then two minutes later there are another 10 chimes. The only reason that I can think of for this is in those cases when you don’t know whether you heard all of the chimes or you lost count. Chiming twice means that you can concentrate hard on the second ones.
Photos: Two of the ‘Les Lapins Cretins’ carvings – a rabbit plays the bagpipes whilst a man popes out his tongue at the church opposite and a man batters his wife, a scene straight out of ‘Punch and Judy’; This unusual pulpit in the Malestroit church has no visible means of entry – there is actually a concealed door that leads to a staircase that goes through the wall; One of the carvings on the outside of the church representing sins – this one is debauchery; The confluence of the canal and the L’Oust; A menhir and alignment at Monteneuf; The experimental area at Monteneuf.
Our next destination was Monteneuf for some more archaeology. Until 1989 only a few menhirs were known here but more were discovered and a full investigation started. In the end over 400 menhirs were found over a 6 hectare site. Most of the menhirs are not standing and it is thought that the site was deliberately destroyed in the Middle Ages. About 40 of the menhirs have been re-erected when the archaeologists had evidence of their original position. There is a very good walk around the site on good paths through woodland and scrub. Maps are available at the entrance and although the English copies had run out, it was easy to follow the route with the French version. Many boards explain the sites (in French) and there is a good area of reconstruction showing life in prehistoric times. Most impressive was the educational area dedicated to experimental archaeology where many ideas were shown for the methods of transporting and erecting the menhirs. The visit took us much longer than expected so we decided to find another aire rather than going on to the next site. We chose Maure de Bretagne where the aire overlooked a park and small lake. The services were good and there were three good hardstanding pitches and we had our choice. Unfortunately, the town is not at all interesting and the road noise and church clock lead to a disturbed night. Like some other churches in France that we have come across, the clock chimes the hour twice. So at 10 o’clock there are 10 chimes and then two minutes later there are another 10 chimes. The only reason that I can think of for this is in those cases when you don’t know whether you heard all of the chimes or you lost count. Chiming twice means that you can concentrate hard on the second ones.
Photos: Two of the ‘Les Lapins Cretins’ carvings – a rabbit plays the bagpipes whilst a man popes out his tongue at the church opposite and a man batters his wife, a scene straight out of ‘Punch and Judy’; This unusual pulpit in the Malestroit church has no visible means of entry – there is actually a concealed door that leads to a staircase that goes through the wall; One of the carvings on the outside of the church representing sins – this one is debauchery; The confluence of the canal and the L’Oust; A menhir and alignment at Monteneuf; The experimental area at Monteneuf.
No comments:
Post a Comment