La Gran'mère du Chimquière

Today my blip travels have taken me to St Martin's parish and indeed to St Martin's church. Rather like the blip I took of a Menhir Statue in July, this megalithic object stands on the grounds of a parish church. Here is some information about it.

This figure is thought to have been carved at two separate times. Firstly at around 2500 BC and then again during the Gallo-Roman period around 100 BC - 100 AD when more details were added to the face. This statue-menhir would have originally stood closer to what is now the church, facing east. La Gran'mere had always (until recent times at least) been highly venerated by the local worshippers. We can often see her decorated with flowers or coins at her feet or on her head.
The churchwarden ordered La Gran'mere to be destroyed in 1860 because he considered that the regard paid to the statue was "tantamount to idolatry". La Gran'mere was broken in two but the parishioners protested so vigorously that she was cemented back together and placed in her current position.