Somme visit May

[vincentg]

Hello everybody,

I plan to visit the Somme-area for two days in May (for the first time). I travel alone so don't have to consider anyone. I'm a rather "fast" visitor, do not "lose" a lot of time at each place. So far I plan to visit following spots:

A walk (https://www.routeyou.com/nl-fr/route/view/12138366/wandelroute/somme-wandeling) visiting following places: Thiepval (Wood), Newfoundlandcorner, Hawthorne Ridge Crater, Ulster Tower

Albert Museum
Lochnagar Crater
Delville Wood (museum)
Windmill / Tank memorial Pozieres

If I still have enough time perhaps also a quick stop at : Necropole de Rancourt/La Chapelle du Souvenir, Gueudecourt Newfoundland Memorial, Belvedere de Frise and on the way home Cambrai Tank Museum.

Are there other places I need to visit (instead of there listed)?

Does anyone know a place where I can find some (not touristy) bunkers/blockhaus and trenches (perhaps in a non-restricted/non-private wood). I'm familiar with trenchmaps but do not know which woods are accessible.

Thank you!

Edited 6 March , 2023 by vincentg

[WilliamRev]

Hi Vincent

I would suggest that you consider including the Historial - the big museum at Peronne, which has rather more to see than the museum at Albert, although the latter is still interesting and worth a visit. I was very disappointed with the Delville Wood Museum which didn't seem to have much of interest (mostly about South Africa and not WW1 it seemed to me) so I would give that a miss if your time is limited, although nearby Bezantin Ridge and Delville Wood are worth visiting, especially if you combined them with a walk that includes High Wood and perhaps even northwards beyond there to see where so much of the Battle of the Somme was fought after the first stages.

Paul Reed's Walking the Somme has some excellent walks which you can mix and match - he is very good at pointing out unnoticed paths across farmland that you can use without annoying farmers. If it is wet and want car tours then there are good ones in the Holt's guide to the Somme.

There are some excavated trenches at Ocean Villas Guest House, so I read, although I have never visited them, and dips in the ground that once were trenches can still be seen at Newfoundland and Sheffield Parks. I think others may have some better ideas than me on this.

Have a great trip!

William

Edited 6 March , 2023 by WilliamRev

[Tom Kilkenny]

I'd second William's suggestion that you look at Paul Reed's Walking the Somme and spend a morning or an afternoon walking part of the battlefield.  There's nothing like actually walking the ground.  Weather allowing of course!

[chaz]

if you are at Ulster Tower, Connaught and Mill Road cemeteries. Mill Road has the interesting flat head stones, then across the road with the Ulster Tower trip to see the trenches in the woods behind Connaught.

[pioneecorps]

I've been to the one Albert and the one at Peronne, the both were interesting

Albert at the main entrance, then down the tunnels, Peronne there a great display of uniforms set in the floor with glass tops.

Lochnagar Crater walked down to the centre off it, 

Ulster Tower another one I have visited and enjoyed, my friend was asked to be the curator there.

Gerwyn

[Don Regiano]

8 hours ago, vincentg said:

Lochnagar Crater

You could also try the Glory Hole nearby in La Boisselle - appointment only - email Claudie Llewellyn who speaks excellent English (married to a Welshman!)

http://www.ilotdelaboisselle.com/en/

[vincentg]

Thank you everybody for the info!

@WilliamRevI will defenitely check out the Paul Reed's "Walking the Somme"! The museum in Peronne will probably be for another time. Will see about Delville Wood Museum if I have time enough.

@chaz will visit Connaught and Mill Road cemeteries. They are on the walking route I will take.

@Don RegianoI have found the info about L'ilot de la Boisselle but it will be difficult time/schedule wise I think. Glory Hole was a difficult search if you don't know what it is/you are looking for

If anyone knows more about untouched/accessible trenches, please let me know!

Thank you!

[Michelle Young]

You’d probably have to go into the French Somme sector to find anything untouched. 

[pioneecorps]

Another good book, Walking the Somme by Rose C, I cant remember her sur name now.

[kenf48]

59 minutes ago, pioneecorps said:

Another good book, Walking the Somme by Rose C, I cant remember her sur name now.

I think you are referring to,"Before Endeavours Fade - A guide to the battlefields of the First World War" by the late Rose E.B. Coombes MBE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Before-Endeavours-Fade-Rose-Coombs/dp/1870067622

21 hours ago, vincentg said:

I travel alone so don't have to consider anyone. I'm a rather "fast" visitor, do not "lose" a lot of time at each place.

Take care, on a previous "fast" visit (day trip) I received a speeding ticket on the motorway to Calais

Personally whilst acknowledging the excellent suggestions above if you are in a car there is no substitute for Holts Battlefields of the Somme

and their Battle Map of the Somme

As noted in the text there are over 100 sites on the Somme but most can be visited on a three day motor tour, with only two days some will have to go.

I note Thiepval is not on your list, that is a must, as is Pozieres where there is an observation platform over the towards Thiepval and across the battlefield.  Newfoundland Battle Park is best done in the early morning, I've not been since it appears there are now  'guides' to 'interpret the site'. I prefer quiet contemplation.

Tourist routes are well signposted now.

[pioneecorps]

9 minutes ago, kenf48 said:

I think you are referring to,"Before Endeavours Fade - A guide to the battlefields of the First World War" by the late Rose E.B. Coombes MBE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Before-Endeavours-Fade-Rose-Coombs/dp/1870067622

Take care, on a previous "fast" visit (day trip) I received a speeding ticket on the motorway to Calais

Personally whilst acknowledging the excellent suggestions above if you are in a car there is no substitute for Holts Battlefields of the Somme

and their Battle Map of the Somme

As noted in the text there are over 100 sites on the Somme but most can be visited on a three day motor tour, with only two days some will have to go.

I note Thiepval is not on your list, that is a must, as is Pozieres where there is an observation platform over the towards Thiepval and across the battlefield.  Newfoundland Battle Park is best done in the early morning, I've not been since it appears there are now  'guides' to 'interpret the site'. I prefer quiet contemplation.

Tourist routes are well signposted now.

Thank you Ken. if I wasn't that lazy, I could walked upstairs for her book, which his  signed by her, 

If I remember right, Rose his buried near to Lille Gate.

Kind regards

Gerwyn

[vincentg]

53 minutes ago, kenf48 said:

I note Thiepval is not on your list, that is a must, as is Pozieres where there is an observation platform over the towards Thiepval and across the battlefield.  Newfoundland Battle Park is best done in the early morning, I've not been since it appears there are now  'guides' to 'interpret the site'. I prefer quiet contemplation.

Tourist routes are well signposted now.

Thiepval is on my list (A walk (https://www.routeyou.com/nl-fr/route/view/12138366/wandelroute/somme-wandeling) visiting following places: Thiepval (Wood), Newfoundlandcorner, Hawthorne Ridge Crater, Ulster Tower)!

I will certainly check the observation platform at Pozieres.

[kenf48]

42 minutes ago, pioneecorps said:

I could walked upstairs for her book, which his  signed by her,

Like mine, 

It must be like some other books by prolific and distinguished WW1 authors -  it's the unsigned ones which are valuable

 

 

[pioneecorps]

Another place to visit Le Tommy cafe run by Dominique, he has a great trenches out the back with WW1 relics. which is fenced off.

He did have trenches with relics in, in another place that were not fenced off, and you could walk through them, but it didn't last because some were taken them

If you like omelette with chips, he's the best.

I don't know if he still has the Franc glued to the floor by the front door.

I heard about his family, but this was a long time ago now.

Gerwyn

 

 

[pioneecorps]

16 minutes ago, kenf48 said:

Like mine, 

It must be like some other books by prolific and distinguished WW1 authors -  it's the unsigned ones which are valuable

 

 

Rose did not sign it to me Ken, it was to my boss, who when I mentioned to him my interests, he give it to me.

I lent it out, when I had it back, all the pages were loose😠.

When I'm gone, it will probably end up being thrown out.

Regards

Gerwyn

[Don Regiano]

On 06/03/2023 at 15:09, vincentg said:

Hawthorne Ridge Crater,

If you are walking up to the crater, you can park on the other side of the road next to the memorial to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.  This is at the bottom of the Sunken Lane of Lancashire Fusiliers fame of 1 July 1916.

[vincentg]

I visited the region on Sunday (just 1 day, not two). It was 25 years since I was there with my parents. Beautiful landscape and a pleasure to walk around. I made a 20km walk from Thiepval to Beaumont-Hamel and back (https://www.routeyou.com/nl-fr/route/view/12138366/wandelroute/somme-wandeling ), enjoyed it a lot. Before noon the area was very quiet but it was very busy in the afternoon (also a lot of British school children, 6-7 buses). I also went to Lochnager Crater. A lot of people where renovating/doing maintenance around the crater.

Some pictures:

 

[kenf48]

Thank you for posting, particularly liked the Ulster Tower study.

[Fattyowls]

Excellent pictures, I'd like to add my thanks to Ken's. I can recognise most of the locations but there are a couple of very interesting angles which I particularly like. I'm going to have to get the maps up to establish which woodland is on the horizon behind Lochnagar.

Pete.

[vincentg]

Thank you! @Fattyowls Just checked on a Trenchmap and I think it's a "new" wood close to Bailiff Wood next to Contalmaison.

 

[Fattyowls]

1 hour ago, vincentg said:

Thank you! @Fattyowls Just checked on a Trenchmap and I think it's a "new" wood close to Bailiff Wood next to Contalmaison.

 

Thanks for that; I can picture it now from the Mash Valley side. I was thinking about posting a link to the thread called 'Has Anyone Got A Photograph of' which I started during the pandemic. It's become a photo identification quiz more recently in which I exhibit a similar lack of identification ability.

Pete.

[vincentg]

@Fattyowls No problem, you can post the picture. I've seen the thread. I'm trying to delete my "answer" so other people can guess but for some reason I can not edit my post.

[Fattyowls]

No problem. I've just been through your set enlarging them and they get even better. The small cemetery at Beaumont-Hamel was the first Somme one I ever visited on a day of similar sunshine and it is really nostalgic looking at it. I've taken the diabolical liberty of downloading them to a private folder which I run on a loop as my computer background. I hope that is ok. There are some superb photographers on the forum and yours are a worthy addition. You've certainly covered some ground in one day; I'm well impressed with that too.

Pete.

P.S. I've just spotted what I think is Gordon Dump cemetery on the Lochnagar one; it's one I've never visited and is high on my list for when I return.

[vincentg]

Nice to hear! No problem! Pictures are taken with a (non-expensive) smartphone. Distance was ok to walk, but it was very windy (but helped with the temperature/sun). I was very surprised with the elevation in the area, did not expect it to be that much. Some more pictures. The last picture is maybe a contender for your 'Has Anyone Got A Photograph of'-thread. Small hint: Just out of the picture on the right side, 200m from the trees is a small very difficult to reach cemetery.

[chaz]

ahh memories, back in July for our 40th anniversary