Picardy

Frank Gill
Frank Gill Club Member Posts: 153 ✭✭✭
100 Comments
edited January 2016 in Overseas Campsites & Touring #1

Still undecided as where to visit this summer. Would be grateful for some advice on visting The Somme Battlefield's and was wondering where other member's recommend staying.

Comments

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004 ✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #2

    Our friend, a history teacher, took parties of school children to the Somme each year, and now he's retired is guiding adult tours.  

    This website The Great War  is a good one for an overview of the history of WW1 (all battle fields) and sites to visit, as well as sourcing campsites to suit a particular area.  I hope others will come up with recommendations - we'ver never stayed in the area, but done a 'day trip' when we wanted to visit.

    If you're going via Calais then I would recommend a 'side visit' to Ypres and make sure you stay for the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate.  There are campsites in Ypres itself, or you could stay somewhere nearer to Calais, such as Chateau du Gandspette, and visit in the evening from there.  There is even a little war graves cemetery in Eperleques, withi walking distance of the site, and the Blockhaus and La Coupole in St Omer (part of WW2 history).

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #3

    We stayed a lovely Municipal site (le Velodrome) on the edge of 'Albert', right in the middle of the Somme area with many WW1 sites and the 'Great Lochnager Crater' nearby.

    Site is <HERE>

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #4

    Frank, if you have personal family reasons for visiting the Somme battlefields then I respect you going there. But we found the sheer number of cemeteries and memorials so desperately sad and depressing. We shook our heads at the horror and enormity of it all, read the inscriptions on some of the graves, wiped our eyes, and moved on the next day without wanting to stay longer. 

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #5

    It can be a bit of a harrowing experience. I often think that all political leaders should spend some time meditating there.

  • Marz
    Marz Forum Participant Posts: 33
    edited January 2016 #6

    It is something everyone should do. It may be upsetting but we owe these guys our freedom and we should go and say thank you to them for their sacrifice. We spent time visiting Ypres and the Somme and now really appreciate the effort these people made on
    our behalf.  Thank you one and all and also thanks to the War Graves Commission who look after everything so beautifully. 

  • kenexton
    kenexton Forum Participant Posts: 306
    edited January 2016 #7

    From Albert you may also take a trip to Serre CWG Cemetery where the Barnsley and Accrington Pals lie.The trenches from which they had to advance uphill against machine gun fire are still there.Go to Fricourt German Cemetery and you will find the grave of
    the"Red Baron" Richthofen.If you head further south towards Reims you will come to the Chemin des Dames.From the Guiningcourt site you can follow it up onto the ridge road towards Soissons.There are still extant and dangerous trenches in woodland to your right
    and further on is the Cave du Dragon.You may take a tour underground and see where the French and Germans fought in total darkness  with mines and gas in Champagne caves in the hillside all in order to command the high ground  overlooking  the valley roads.

  • TheAdmiral
    TheAdmiral Forum Participant Posts: 506
    edited January 2016 #8

    We always stay en route home from Spain twice a year at Le Crotoy, it has a lovely harbour and a fabulous Restaurant on the quay and a great Aire for you motorhomers again right on the front with  a 150 metre amble to the centre of the village

    Admiral

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