This is the largest dolmen in France, and perhaps the world, depending on how you measure things. It is to be found these days in the back garden of a house which used to be a little cafe, in the town of Bagneux, a suburb of Saumur. To ask to look you need to ring the bell on the right. It is really an impressive sight.

Some statistics: 17.3m long x 5.4m max wide x 3.1m high. The antechamber adds another 4m to the length. It is covered with four capstones the largest of which is 7.6m long and weighs 86 tons. The large overlapping backstone is 7.3m long.

The interior stone is not a supporting pillar but probably the remains of an internal parтιтion usually found in Angevin dolmens.

No burials were found in the 1775 excavations which have led to suggestions that it was not a burial monument but it had been used as a barn for some time previously and other large Angevin dolmens have produced evidence of burials.

Truly mᴀssive and worth the price of admission. You don’t (or didn’t) have to eat at the cafe to see it but it adds to the fun.

This is the largest dolmen in France, and perhaps the world, depending on how you measure things. It is to be found these days in the back garden of a house which used to be a little cafe, in the town of Bagneux, a suburb of Saumur. To ask to look you need to ring the bell on the right. It is really an impressive sight.

Exterior view from which it is possible to guage the immense size of the orthostats and capstones.

Le Grand Dolmen de Bagneux

Set in pleasant, well cared for grounds surrounded by a high wall, I was pleased to see it well protected for atleast another few years of its long history. Site in Pays de la Loire:Maine-et-Loire 49 France

Le Grand Dolmen de Bagneux

Le Grand Dolmen de Bagneux

A view along the length of the dolmen’s chamber past the support pillar to the entranceway. April 2010

Le Grand Dolmen de Bagneux

Side view illustrating the mᴀssive orthostats used in its construction. Site in Pays de la Loire:Maine-et-Loire 49 France

Related Posts

Black Panther 3 | Shadows of Wakanda (2025)

Black Panther 3 | Shadows of Wakanda (2025)

The next chapter in the Black Panther saga has been revealed. тιтled “Black Panther 3: Shadows of Wakanda,” the film will feature Michael B. Jordan reprising his…

Marvel’s White Tiger (2025) – First Trailer

Marvel’s White Tiger (2025) – First Trailer

Marvel Studios is taking a bold step into new territory with the announcement of White Tiger, a film focused on the beloved but underutilized Marvel character, White…

Hitman (2025)

Hitman (2025)

Hitman (2025) is a high-octane action thriller that reboots the iconic franchise, bringing a fresh take on the story of Agent 47, the genetically engineered ᴀssᴀssin. Directed…

Mysterious mummy found in tomb in Peru with hands covering its face.

Mysterious mummy found in tomb in Peru with hands covering its face.

A mummy, fully bound in ropes and with its hands covering its face, has been discovered in an underground tomb in Peru. Archaeologists from the National University…

Admire the gold-encrusted sarcophagus of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Admire the gold-encrusted sarcophagus of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

For the first time in 97 years since the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered, the outermost layer of gold-plated sarcophagus has been removed from the…

The Magical 16th Century German Oath Skull

The Magical 16th Century German Oath Skull

The oath skull engraved with the Sator Square had largely been the stuff of academic research and historical footnotes until a remarkable discovery in the early 21st…