Pierre Ardoue, Dolmen in Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, France

Pierre Ardoue is a dolmen of sandstone slabs in the Rambouillet forest, 1.5 km northwest of Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines. Its capstone, now about 3 m long and 2.4 to 3.6 m wide with an average thickness of 0.55 m, rests on two remaining orthostats; the other two have collapsed beneath it, so the table lies directly on the ground. The nearest sandstone deposit is 2 km away, across the Vesgre valley.

The dolmen was built during the Neolithic period over 4000 years ago and likely served as a burial place or gathering spot for early communities. Since 1906 it has been officially protected as a historical monument, recognizing its importance to ancient French history.

Local tradition holds that the monument was built by fairies, not by spirits or ancient powers. The name Pierre Ardroue or Ardoue appears on the map drawn by Berthier in 1764, and the site is also called Pierre Ardoué. At the end of the 18th century the burial chamber was emptied and dug out to shelter domestic animals.

The dolmen sits in a forest area along a walking trail that makes it easy to find and explore. There are no modern facilities on site, so bring water and wear comfortable shoes for walking on uneven ground.

Guégan de l'Isle thought he saw two cupules in the northwest corner of the capstone, but they appear to be natural hollows. The debris around the dolmen comes from a former rural building, now destroyed, not from a tumulus.