suesalter1 Posted 23 August , 2017 Share Posted 23 August , 2017 After a couple of short trips to Ypres and surrounds, my friend has 'caught the bug' and wants to explore more. In fact, she's already booked up for next year! Please can I have any suggestions if where we could drive to. We've already visited Flanders Field Museum, Menin Gate (although we'll do that again, of course), St George's Chapel, the Cathedral, Tyne Cot, Langemarke German Cemetery (which she hated). Also walked the Ramparts around Ypres and visited the Ramparts cemetery (one of my favorites).and Essex Farm. We really want to see more around Ypres. I won't suggest Sanctuary Wood (Hall 62) museum. Can't stand the place with it's gruesome set of photographs and dubious trench system. So any must see's would be good. I've been battlefield touring for years, normally with registered companies, but I want her to see more of the area. Thanks, Sue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 23 August , 2017 Share Posted 23 August , 2017 What's your interest? You can cut Ypres a number of ways. You could do it chronologically and start with the 1st Battles in 1914 by going to Gheluvelt, then look at elements of the 2nd Battles in 1915 at say Hill 60 and the site of the gas attacks near St Julien, and then for the 3rd Battles in 1917 you could go down to Messines (not strictly part of the 3rd Battles of Ypres but absolutely connected to it) and then do the walk along the old railway from Zonnebeke to Passchendaele having gone to the museum at Zonnebeke first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bern28x Posted 23 August , 2017 Share Posted 23 August , 2017 Pond Farm is a good visit, a private collection of the "iron Harvest" shown around by the owner and familly. A surprise is taking shape in his workshop/shed, I wont spoil it for any other visitors. By appointment only, they do have a website. Good luck Bern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 23 August , 2017 Share Posted 23 August , 2017 Get a copy of the Holt's Battlefield Guide. It's format is of several driving tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 23 August , 2017 Share Posted 23 August , 2017 6 hours ago, John_Hartley said: Get a copy of the Holt's Battlefield Guide. It's format is of several driving tours. As background reading, for contemporary pictures of the battlefields & cemeteries immediately post war, & suggested battlefield tours from back then, the Illustrated Michelin Guides to the Battle-fields (1914-1918): Ypres and the Battles of Ypres (online & downloads at archive.org) or reprint copy from Naval & Military Press is well worth a look and might also give some ideas. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vimyboy Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 I have been to Ypres many times and have taken different people on tours. Everyone is different in their interests. My wife likes to find soldiers in cemeteries that we will visit and to get their storey. She makes a nice personal cross and places them at the graves. She feels a real connection with the soldiers. My children humour me and listen to my descriptions of the battles and where our relatives fought. Of course, we do a battlefield lunch and beer to ease their pain. Let's face it, there are the standard memorials that every one visits. You listed most of them. My favourite is the Brooding Soldier. Your comments on Sanctuary Woods Museum are spot on. I think the Passchendaele Museum at Zonnebeke is great and worth a visit. You can get many phone apps that will give you self-guided tours. They have also put up many trees around Ypres that delineate the front lines - they are marked and numbered and you can bike or drive through the tour. They are GPS enabled with pictures and stories showing past and current pictures. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.bitmunks.ypressalient.trees&hl=en If you want to get off the beaten path you have to do your research. I found many places with destroyed bunkers, unexploded ammunition and old trench lines. These are in the woods around Ypres. Have a look at https://www.tracesofwar.com. Shrewsbury Forest has a lot of destroyed German bunkers. It is East of Sanctuary Woods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 Gareth's suggestions would be mine too. Re Sanctuary Wood, I agree with your comments. But walk past it to the Canadian Memorial and you will get a fine view back to Ypres in the distance. Walk along to path to the road near Shrewsbury Forest and you are pretty much on the Allied front line at the start of Third Ypres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pioneecorps Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 Hi Sue, I found Hooge Crater Museum to be a nice place to visit, the one at Zonnebeke being another, I'm sure I read somewhere that the trench system at Sanctuary Wood was put there in the 50s, I visited the German cemetery at Langemarke on a sunny day, on entering I found it to be dark, on coming out, it was a sunny day, eerie comes to mind. Gerwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 The Holt's Battlefield Guide has been recommended but my preference would be the Rose Coombs 'Before Endeavours Fade' book if you haven't already got one. Mind you there is no harm in having both. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 I saw that Chris Baker had given THIS a favourable review on his website. I also reviewed it for Stand To! and found it rather good and certainly a change to the more usual memorial - cemetery - memorial - memorial - cemetery sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pioneecorps Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, gem22 said: The Holt's Battlefield Guide has been recommended but my preference would be the Rose Coombs 'Before Endeavours Fade' book if you haven't already got one. Mind you there is no harm in having both. Garth Hi Garth, I have the Before Endeavours Fade signed by Rose Coombs, which was given to me in mint condition by my boss, I lent it out to someone and it came back to me in a hell of a state, pages loose, neither a borrower, nor lender be. Gerwyn Edited 24 August , 2017 by pioneecorps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 6 hours ago, sassenach said: Gareth's suggestions would be mine too. Re Sanctuary Wood, I agree with your comments. But walk past it to the Canadian Memorial and you will get a fine view back to Ypres in the distance. Walk along to path to the road near Shrewsbury Forest and you are pretty much on the Allied front line at the start of Third Ypres. Good man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 Paul Reed's book,´ Walking the Salient has some excellent walks around Ypres. Hill 60 is a must see and has a great value resto of the same name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesalter1 Posted 24 August , 2017 Author Share Posted 24 August , 2017 Thanks to everyone who has suggested useful itineraries for our next trip to Ypres. I'm so happy that I now have someone who shares my interest in the Western Front, especially the Ypres Salient. I have got "Before Endeavours Fade" and the Holts pocket battlefield guide book, both quite old editions, but still useful. I definitely want to do Hooge Crater Museum. I went there years ago and looking at their website, it looks to have been expanded for the better. I also remember walking through Shrewsbury Forrest one of my past tours and found it quite special. (Not quite up to Mametz Wood where I have a personal interest as 2 great-uncles fought there, but I know that's out of bounds to visitors). From everyone's suggestions, I can start to plan our next trip and I will certainly check out the 2 books mentioned by Steven Broomfield and Hedley Malloch. All much appreciated. Sue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pioneecorps Posted 24 August , 2017 Share Posted 24 August , 2017 Hi Sue, walked from the 38th Welsh Dragon Memorial into the woods, and I was surprised to find how open it was when entered, haven't been there for many years now, tend these day to do Ypres as its not so much driving, my Great Uncle fought there with the 15th Welsh Battalion. Gerwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientguide Posted 30 September , 2017 Share Posted 30 September , 2017 (edited) Sue are you getting a little confused re the location of Mametz Wood which is located in the mid Somme region, not in the Salient area or did you visit there on a prev ious trip. Although you have been on battlefield tours, presumably coach based , have you considered using trips or tours by the several locally based companies there or even a local (usually British) guide to go to some more out of the way places rather than just museums and the usual main sites? Best wishes with your planning SG Edited 30 September , 2017 by salientguide grammar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 30 September , 2017 Share Posted 30 September , 2017 (edited) 22 minutes ago, salientguide said: Sue are you getting a little confused re the location of Mametz Wood which is located in the mid Somme region, not in the Salient area or did you visit there on a prev ious trip. Although you have been on battlefield tours, presumably coach based , have you considered using trips or tours by the several locally based companies there or even a local (usually British) guide to go to some more out of the way places rather than just museums and the usual main sites? Best wishes with your planning SG No, she is not at all confused. She was saying that the experience of of walking through Shrewsbury Forrest was "quite special" but not as special as Mametz Wood where 2 of here great-uncles fought there. Edited 30 September , 2017 by Gareth Davies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientguide Posted 1 October , 2017 Share Posted 1 October , 2017 Ah yes apologies Sue, misread the context in your post. But my second point might be of interest. Regards SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan O'Brien Posted 3 March , 2018 Share Posted 3 March , 2018 Found this a most useful thread, has helped me get an itinerary together for a first time visit later this month. Staying in Ypres for 4 days, husband will be driving and we will be cramming in as much as possible. My interest is mainly Sherwood Foresters, my grandfather's regiment. He was fortunate to have survived. This is just such a great site. I am learning to much. Thanks to all the knowledgeable contributors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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