Bayernwald

[Mark Hone]

I was scanning the brochure of one of the dozens (literally) of school tour operators who regularly tout for my custom. I notice that they now have Bayernwald on their standard 'Ypres and the Somme' itinerary. I did a recce of the site this Summer and reluctantly decided that it was not feasible to take a coach down as the road is narrow and there are no passing places. Has anyone else experience of taking a coach there?

[Tom Morgan]

Hello, Mark,

I go Bayernwald/Croonaert Wood with coach groups often and have done so for some years. As you say, the road is narrow but I have never had any insurmountable problem with vehicles passing each other. Drivers have always been able to sort it out with minimum bother. I always approach the wood from the Voormezeele direction, by the way, and ask the driver to park the coach on the hard standing just beside the road which runs along the wood.

Tom

[CROONAERT]

There was a full size coach full of Belgian school kids there when I went last week. The road opposite the entrance is wide enough and is used as the "coach park". It also managed to turn around somewhere (but I don't know where) because it went away in the opposite direction from which it was facing.

Dave. (Don't forget, that you need the lock code from Kemmel to get in! I was lucky, that someone else was there and they let me in).

[Mark Hone]

I might give it a go, with my fingers well-crossed! Getting the code is a bit of a faff, but not as bad as the St Eloi Crater which is now inaccessible again to ordinary mortals.