Time Trails in Brittany - Sentiers du Temps

Five stars are not enough! Ten stars at least.  We were staying at La Charbonniére near  Mohon [see details on these pages] and my hubby is into history and was shown the leaflet … me , well I can tag along. The price surprised me. I was in two minds if I should go or not, but I went and boy did I get a surprise!  You see the first location within minutes of starting. Philip, (even though he is a Bsc, MA, etc) is not stuffy, he brings it all alive. He doesn’t lecture you, he poses questions for you to think about. He doesn’t correct you like a schoolteacher, he patiently brings you around to seeing the past. He has a sense of humour… well he would have to have to keep me engaged for the whole afternoon!  Although I am an old lady I didn’t have any problems getting to and from the sites. Sensible shoes and clothes are all you need.  Philip didn’t just know about Neolithic times , he engaged in various other periods (I like medieval) . You can ask questions about anythin

  FIVE STARS! “We had an interesting and thought provoking experience with Philip learning about the giant stones in Ménéac. It was fascinating to hear Philip's stories about the markers, particularly the history of his investigations and discoveries as he researched them. In addition to telling us about these particular Neolithic artifacts, Philip utilises his archeological training to paint a detailed picture of Neolithic times and how the communities lived and celebrated. It was fascinating to walk through ordinary countryside back roads and paths to discover each of the stones and imagine the landscape in those times and the journeys taken by people then. A very different experience from the typical tourist activities in Brittany and a welcome exploration into an ancient time.” Caite, Sydney, Australia

  Here is my schedule of guided visits for autumn, winter and early spring.    These can be booked direct with me via email or through Airbnb Experiences.   From the week commencing September 26th to December 16th 2022 scheduled tours will run on the following days;- Mystery and Prehistory of the Pink Granite Coast - Mondays from 1PM The Ménéac Markers Tour - Thursdays from 10AM The Locminé Loop Tour - Fridays from 1PM   From the week commencing January 9th 2023 scheduled tours will run on the following days;- Mystery and Prehistory of the Pink Granite Coast - Mondays from 1PM The Ménéac Markers Tour - Thursdays from 10AM The Locminé Loop Tour - Fridays from 1PM   Tours are also available to the fantastic assemblage of sites at St Just, near Redon in Ille-et-Vilaine, and to the small cluster of four burial chambers near Lac Guerledan. These can be taken on a day of your choosing subject to availability with the exception of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons.     Should you b

Let's take a look at the Locminé Loop tour. Adult prices from 44€ per person (based on a group of nine adult guests booking as a single party) If you are living or taking a holiday in central Brittany, the busy little town of Locminé is a great starting point for a visit to some fascinating sites, ranging from the modest to the intriguing and the truly spectacular. Église Saint-Sauveur et Saint Colomban is our rendez-vous point in Locminé. After meeting in the centre of Locminé w e will head south to explore six fascinating sites. Our first stop will be a brief pause at a small dolmen (burial chamber) after which we will move on to discover a range of menhirs (standing stones), and a couple of sites of uncertain purpose, most of which rarely figure on the itinerary of visitors to this part of Brittany. Our first stop We will explore some of the associations between these sites and their natural surroundings whilst also taking some time to appreciate the ingenuity of the

In response to a number of enquiries I would just like to confirm that for insurance and licensing purposes I am unable to provide transport for our tours at this time. For the time-being all our tours are undertaken on a guided self-drive basis so you will need to have access to your own vehicle. Should demand for a chauffeured service continue at the levels we are currently experiencing, however, I will investigate the possibility of offering transport in the not-too-distant future.

On my tours I talk lots about the continuing relationship between the living and the dead and the significance burial monuments had for ancient communities. Many of the tombs I will take you to show evidence that they were the centre for ongoing rituals over many hundreds of years and, it might surprise you to learn, this didn't just happen in prehistory. All over the world similar rituals still take place. Here's a link to an interesting short video from the BBC that gives a snap shot of one such ritual in Mexico. https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07srkd7/the-village-that-exhumes-its-dead-once-a-year If you'd like to see the evidence of similar rituals in prehistory why not join me on the fascinating Guerlédan Heights tour? Alternatively, my Locminé Loop and Pink Granite Coast tours also include some compelling evidence of long-term interaction between living people and the ancestors. I look forward to sharing these amazing places with you.

Timetrails is run by a qualified archaeologist who gives guided, self-drive tours of many ancient and mysterious sites in central Brittany. All tours are conducted in English and they focus on sites dating from the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age. Depending on the tours you chose, you will visit Menhirs (standing stones), Cromlechs (stone circles) and several types of ancient burial monument known collectively as Dolmens. Your guide will explain about the lives of people in Brittany up to 6,000 years ago, highlighting their ingenuity and skill as they constructed monuments which demonstrate a deep understanding of engineering, the land, the seasons and the skies above them. At some sites you'll see enigmatic carvings which tempt us to speculate on the beliefs of prehistoric communities and you'll be amazed at some of their achievements. These tours are a unique experience for small groups, offering unrivalled access to an expert guide who will be happy to answer (or at