Le Déhus

Le Déhus is easily the most impressive passage grave in the island as it features the world famous ‘Le Gardien du Tombeau’ carving on the underside of one of the capstones. The tomb, covered by a grassy mound and edged by a circle of standing stones (some original), can be accessed from the road through a small gate. The passage tomb looks at first glance to be well preserved though much of this is down to rebuilding. It is very well lit and offers the visitor viewing of the carving on the capstone by switching lights to one that sends a beam across the carving bringing it to ‘life.’ There is also a 360 degree panoramic view of the inside of the dolmen at www.visitguernsey.com.

On the first excavation a three feet thick layer of limpet shells was found. Was this a pile of offering for the afterlife or votive gifts to the dead loved ones? Certainly the limpet was eaten in huge numbers by early man - the numbers had to be huge as the nutritional value isn’t that high in a limpet - so maybe this was only a few weeks supply or maybe more got added over a period of months or years. The shells might just be there to stop the bones rotting.