Across Northern France and Belgium there is so much to see, and there are many poignant places to pay your respects to fallen soldiers.

We combine visits to some of the key sites with opportunities to go off the beaten track to visit lesser-known spots. Here are some of my personal highlights:

Somme

  • Thiepval Memorial to the Missing - the stunning Lutyens memorial bears the names of more than 72,000 men who have no known grave

  • Sheffield Memorial Park - hear the personal stories of the Pals’ battalions and their disastrous attack on 1st July 1916

  • Delville Wood - soak up the atmosphere of Delville Wood where the South African Brigade received their baptism of fire

  • Beaumont Hamel - walk through original British trenches and see just how close the opposing armies were to each other

  • Lochnagar Crater - witness what happens to the landscape when 60,000 pounds of explosive is laid underground

  • Devonshire Cemetery - listen to the story of Captain Neville and his plan to use football to reassure his men as they went over the top

Ypres

  • Essex Farm - site of where Colonel John McCrea wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’. View a medical aid post and see the final resting place of Valentine Strudwick, aged just 15

  • Tyne Cot - the largest Commonwealth War Graves site in the world; a truly heartbreaking site

  • Langemark German Cemetery - compare the stark difference between designs of cemeteries

  • Vancouver Corner - learn about the horrendous gas attacks of 1915

  • Hill 60 - classified as a burial ground; hear about the heroics that led to the East Surreys winning three Victoria Crosses

  • Menin Gate - attend the incredibly moving Last Post ceremony conducted every evening by the Ypres Fire Brigade

Key towns and battlefields to explore include: Amiens, Arras, Cambrai, Le Cateau,
Mons, St Quentin, Verdun, Villers-Bretonneux, Vimy Ridge.

These are just a snapshot of the many, many sites that can be visited.

Get in touch to discuss your perfect tour and journey of remembrance.