WW1 Somme Battlfields

Somme

8 hours

This is a circuit of remembrance of the 1916 Battles of The Somme. Because this was a static war, a war of attrition, many sites have been preserved: the largest and deepest mine crater in France, the iconic monument to the missing at Thiepval, the site of the first tank battles on this planet at Flers, the completely intact battlefield at Beaumont-Hamel where we walk, with our licenced guide through the trenches and out onto no-man's-land, we can eat and drink at a café with trenches in the back garden. The beautifully maintained cemeteries (more than 200 on The Somme) . All this whilst passing through beautiful landscapes and pretty villages. For australians ( and of course others) Villers-Bretonneux has four major sites of importance to those whose ancestors served in the ANZAC forces.

Lochnagar Crater

45 min

The largest mine crater in France, caused by an enormous explosion, detonated at 07.30 on 1st July, 1916

Auchonvillers

1 hour 30 min

An ideal spot for refreshment as there is a café here with original WW1 trenches in the back garden. there is a lot of WW1 memorabilia here, and a small, but beautifully presented museum (included)

Ulster Memorial Tower & Thiepval Wood

45 min

The tower is a replica of Helen's Tower in County Down, Northern Ireland, where the soldiers of the British 16th division trained before engaging in the Battles of The Somme. The assault on the German positions here cost many Irish lives.

Pozieres

45 min

Mémorial de Pozières, 80300 Pozières France
The monument to the first tank battles on this planet shows the different kinds of tanks used. Across the road from the monument is the site a windmill, destroyed during the WW1 battles. Some 2000 Australian soldiers lost their lives here;

Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial

1 hour 15 min

Preserved battlefield where you can walk in the trenches and across no-man's-land. Follow in the footsteps of the soldiers of 1st July, 1916