D31 Exloo

Latitude:
52° 52' 4.45 N
Longitude:
6° 52' 15.01 E
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Images

Image of D31 Exloo (Hunebed) by LesHamilton

The quaint cobbled country road leading to Hunebed D31 Exloo.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Apr 25, 2014
Image of D31 Exloo (Hunebed) by LesHamilton

An elevated side view over Hunebed D31 Exloo, illustrating clearly the location of the missing sidestones.

Image credit: Les Hamilton
LesHamilton
LesHamilton Apr 25, 2014

Articles

D31 Exloo

Nucleus
Nucleus Aug 4, 2018

D31 Exloo is a beautiful situated, but considerable destroyed Hunebed. Of the five capstones, only one has been preserved and it no longer rests on the supporting stones, of which six are left. Both endstones are still there and the once covering mound can also still be recognized.

In the woods east of D31 Exloo and south of Exloo Zuideres there was once Hunebed D31a Exloo (probably a cist), but the stones were removed between 1855 and 1875. For more information check the video for D31 Exloo on the Hunebedinfo website (see below).

According to Wikipedia, the oldest trading route in Drenthe runs along D31 Exloo, D33 Valtherveld, D34 Valthe, D35 Valthe and the burial mound Eppiesbergje. The Valtherzandweg forms part of this prehistoric route.

Visited July 2018

D31 Exloo

LesHamilton
LesHamilton Apr 25, 2014

Visited: April 14, 2014

This hunebed lies in a patch of woodland about 1¾ kilometres south of Exloo, and can be difficult to locate. If you have a map of the area (a Google Map screen dump is ideal), these instructions will get you there in about 30 minutes.

From the centre of Exloo, head south along Zuiderhoofdstraat for 700 metres till its intersection with Zuideresweg on the east and Oude Veldkampsweg on the west. Continue straight ahead along Zuideinde for 50 metres then head left into Valtherzandweg. After an early bend, follow this long, straight road for 700 metres till you reach the crossroads with Boesjeskampweg (2nd on the left). Continue straight ahead, now along Exlooerzandweg, a quaint cobbled country road with woodland on your left and fields to the right of you. After 230 metres, a cobbled track heads left through the trees (Dalakkersweg), and after 300 metres (just a few metres before the path loops sharply to the left) you will see the hunebed lying in a woodland clearing on the right hand side.

Hunebed D31 Exloo suffered badly from grave robbers during the 19th century, and although reported as being complete in 1822, today, of an original 8 sidestones and 4 capstones, only 6 sidestones and a single capstone remain. Even so, this passage grave is so well worth the effort: it’s glade in the woodland is enchanting, and the stones simply exude character.

Sites within 20km of D31 Exloo

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