Visiting the Somme - Recommendations please

[Robuk88]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post here i visited the Somme around 4 weeks ago i loved it that much and found it interesting i've decided to go back in 2 weeks time and take the old man. I was wondering what suggestions people would have to visit. I have been to the following :-

Thiepval Memorial

Newfoundland Memorial Park

Peronne

Amiens

St Quentin

Lochnager Crater

Delville Wood

 

Thank you all so much in advance :-)

 

[Ken Lees]

Welcome to the Forum, Rob.

 

Do you have any particular Great War interest? Family connections? That would help with advice.

 

Ken

[Ken Lees]

Stand-out places for a general visit:

 

Vimy Memorial, Tunnels and Visitor Centre - Vimy Ridge, 10 minutes north of Arras

Australian National Memorial & Sir John Monash Centre, Villers Bretonneux

CWGC Visitor Centre, Beaurains, Arras

Wellington Caves, Arras

 

I am sure you will get many more recommendations

[harley1962]

The Glory Hole and Thiepval Wood are a couple of places i recently did tours of, both very interesting and informative.

As Ken said i can personally vouch for Vimy and the Wellington Tunnels.

Ypres also not that far a drive for The Last Post.

 

[keithfazzani]

You haven't mentioned guidebooks and there are many out there. Rose Coombs “Before Endeavours Fade”, The Holt’s Guides and maps, Understanding the Somme 1916 - Scotland and Heys, Martin Middlebrook, First Day on the Somme, Walking the Somme - Paul Reed and there are others.

[mills-bomb]

1 hour ago, Ken Lees said:

Stand-out places for a general visit:

 

Vimy Memorial, Tunnels and Visitor Centre - Vimy Ridge, 10 minutes north of Arras

Australian National Memorial & Sir John Monash Centre, Villers Bretonneux

CWGC Visitor Centre, Beaurains, Arras

Wellington Caves, Arras

 

I am sure you will get many more recommendations

2nd the Wellington caves, Arras.

[Doug504]

If it’s not too far off your intended route you must visit Etaples cemetery.

 

https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-cemeteries-and-memorials/56500/etaples-military-cemetery

 

Doug

[Nichb]

Just got back ourselved. CWGC interns at Thipval to guide you around for free. Also very kindly printed off all "Barron" on memorial, 21to be exact, bit of homework to do there. Also at Beaumont Hamel the Canadian interns also offer tours and research  again emailing me three "Barron" two of whom are on the Newfoundland memorial. These documents run to 50 plus pages, fantastic.

 

The museum at Albert is worth a visit, all underground, worth an hour.

 

Dont forget the Ulster memorial who also run tours 

 

All these are within 15 min drive of each other

 

Safe trip

 

Nich

[Len Trim]

Don't miss out the Sunken Lane and Hawthorn Ridge Crater. There are good walks from Avril's guest House in Auchonvilliers linking them together in Paul Reed's Walking the Somme if I remember rightly. 

Len

[Robuk88]

Thank you all so much i've made notes and certainly will be visiting some these sites. I forgot to mention i went to Wellington Caves, Arras another highly recommended place.