he Battle of the Somme was intended to be the decisive breakthrough for the Allies, but instead became a byword
for indiscriminate slaughter with 20,000 soldiers killed on the first day.
Thiepval
The site of the 'Memorial to the Missing' designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, which commemorates over 73,000 men who died on the Somme and whose bodies were never found.
Pozieres
The scene of some of the heaviest fighting on the Somme – supposedly the costliest place on earth in terms of human life. Includes a memorial to the Tanks Corps at the spot where tanks were first used.
Beaumont-Hamel Memorial Park
One of the few preserved Western Front battlefields, this is the site of one of the most important battles of the war. The battle lasted from July to mid-November, with the British Army suffering its worst ever casualties for a single day: 40,000 wounded and 20,000 killed.
Delville Wood
Memorial to the South African troops at the site of their first battle. Excellent café and toilets.
Lochnagar Crater at La Boiselle
The site of the largest crater on the Western Front, created by detonating 60,000 lbs explosives beneath the German lines. Debris from the explosion took 10 minutes to settle and its shock waves could be felt in London.
Ulster Tower
The 36th Ulster division successfully captured a very strong German position, before being forced back by British artillery.
Somme 1916 Museum in Albert
Set in the underground passage which was used as air shelter during the Second World War, this museum displays life in the trenches in 1916.
Historial of the Great War Museum
Located in the town of Peronne, this museum offers an insight into daily life during the war. The collection includes posters, pictures, objects from civilian and military life. The exhibits show the extent to which the horror of the suffering was shared by all nations.
Walk through a German trench and descend into a 6 metre deep British dugout with communication and dressing posts, headquarters and accommodation.
The Battle of Arras
The Battle of Arras is famed for the British use of underground tunnels in the French City.
Vimy Ridge
Considered the strongest defensive position in Northern France. The original trenches have been reconstructed in concrete, showing how close the two front lines were at this point, plus the underground tunnels where the troops lived.
Underground Tunnels in Arras
Situated under the Town Hall, the tunnels were originally used as quarries and then became an underground hospital for the British during the Great War. The tunnels are only open May to November.
