The Somme

[Guest viz]

I,m visiting the Somme on the 9th of Nov.....can someone please tell me where the battlefield is that is still untouched and is still as it was with all the trenches etc many thanks....Steve

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

Steve, The best example of what you are looking for would be Newfoundland Park near 'Y' Ravine. It has changed a bit since I was there in 1999 and 2002. Movement inside the area where the trenches are is more restricted but still worth seeing.

The other area that has some original works is near the Accrington Pals site in front of Serre. You will need to travel on a dirt road/track to get there so see how the conditions are in November. If you walk toward the cemetery directly in front of the woods you can see that the men were just coming into view of the German defenders of Serre at that point.

The rest of the area has been worked over for years by farmers and most of the original trenches and defensive works were filled in after the war. There is however several good spots that have not changed much, Lochnagar Crater near La Boisselle, the Butte de Warlencourt and the Panzerturm, armored post just outside of Pozieres.

I do recommend touring the whole area to get an idea of the terrain and conditions experienced by the men that fought there. Hope this helps a bit.

Ralph

[Paul Reed]

I would also recommend popping down to the preserved trenches at Soyecourt, south of the river Somme, which are part of the German line there preserved at some cost by the Somme County Council a few years ago.

Not far away at Le Hamel is the Australian Corps Memorial Park, which also has preserved trenches from 1918 which offer a good contrast.

[Guest]

Good luck!

[nigelcave]

Gosh, I hope he did, since he was asking over sixteen years ago ...

[Michelle Young]

I think winged_2001 is just tacking into any old thread to get his post count to two so he can access messenger.