Somme & Ypres WWI Battlefield Tour.

Battlefield and History Tours

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Prices from £79*

Battlefield & History Tours specialise in Battlefield, History & Educational Tours around the world particularly Europe from across the centuries including WWI, WWII, Revolution and Empire and anything in between . With over 30 years experience in operating school groups we owe our success to the dedication of our staff, advisors, guides and experts.

We are an experienced team all sharing an interest in history and travel, committed to delivering quality planning and service, paying meticulous attention to detail and giving you total support, showing a genuine concern for the welfare and enjoyment of your students.

Our experience ensured that each tour you travel with Battlefield & History Tours will cover every eventuality and explore every opportunity.

Destinations in Europe

France - Belgium

Belgium

Ypres, Waterloo and the surrounding areas are filled with history and visits that bring stories to life. Ypres offers a rich variety of WWI sites - Tyne Cot Cemetery, Sanctuary Wood, Talbot House, Hooge Crater Museum, In Flanders Field Museum. Waterloo - Lions Mound, Wellington Museum and Napoleon's Last Headquarters to name just a couple of visits not to mention the chocolate and food

France

The Somme, Normandy, Paris all offer a range of subjects and topics. The Somme offers a rich variety of WWI sites - Wellington Quarry, Thiepval, Musee Somme and the trenches at Beaumont Hamel where students get a feel for trench life. Normandy offers a rich variety of WWII sites - Pegasus Memorial, Arromanches 360, Merville Batterie, Bayeux, American Cemetery not to mention the extensive beaches and Mulberry Harbour.

What they will learn

Subjects available: History, Cultural, Art, Farming, Fashion and Textiles, Media Studies, Performing Arts, Archaeology, Engineering, Law Politics

A-Level

Challenges for Europe and the wider world, 1901+

GCSE

Conflict and tension: WW1

The Western Front

Inter-war years: 1918-1939

Developments in British warfare

Life in wartime Britain

Key Stage 3

The changing nature of warfare

Life in the trenches

Developments in British warfare

Life in wartime Britain

Primary

British history beyond 1066

Throughout the ages Ypres has been a historical site which became the centre of the bitter struggle of WW1 in late autumn 1914. Located in the Flanders region of Belgium it is one of the key sites to visit for students studying the First World War, History, Geography and Poetry. The memorials, cemeteries, museums and churches in this region are numerous and considerable effort has gone into preserving the memory and the sacrifices that were made by soldiers on both sides. Students will be encouraged to seek references for members of their families and it may be possible to visit the sites subject to timings and locations. They learn to understand and appreciate how most of the soldiers who died, were a little older than they are now. Why not combine a Battlefield tour with visits to Christmas markets over the Christmas season. Christmas markets can include Ypres, Brugge, Brussels, Arras, Amiens, Lille in the Ypres / Somme areas. We can offer tours further afield in Germany, Poland or The Netherlands.

The Somme has always been an agricultural area with rolling fields exposed to harsh winds and cold conditions which can prove to be very uncomfortable. Students will be able to understand the realities the various forces endured in 1916. The memorials, cemeteries, museums and churches in this region are numerous and considerable effort has gone into preserving the memory and the sacrifices that were made by soldiers and civilians. Students will be encouraged to seek references for men from their communities or members of their families, and it may be possible to visit the sites. (subject to timings and locations). They learn to understand and appreciate how most of the soldiers who died, were a little older than they are now and the difficulties encountered. Why not combine a Battlefield tour with visits to Christmas markets over the Christmas season. Christmas markets can include Ypres, Brugge, Brussels, Arras, Amiens, Lille in the Ypres / Somme areas.

What's included

'In Flanders Fields' Museum - an interactive museum providing a chronologically sequenced series of exhibitions that take visitors through the experiences of both soldiers and civilians in the First World War. Pupils are given an ‘interactive Poppy Bracelet’ which is used at different stages of the journey through the Museum, which allow the pupil to follow the fortunes of a character involved in World War I. Weapons, letters, medals and other memorabilia are displayed alongside models, documentary films and other interactive audio-visual media in this narrative of war.

The Menin Gate is a 'Hall of Memory', a memorial to the British and Commonwealth servicemen who lost their lives at Ypres and have no known grave. Over 54,000 names are carved into Portland stone panels. The memorial, located on the eastern side of the town was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and unveiled in 1927 by Field Marshall Plumer. It is only five minutes walk from the main square in Ypres and an essential part of any Battlefield tour of Belgium. Each evening at 8pm, since 1928, a dedicated team of local buglers has sounded the Last Post. The ceremony is extremely moving and is the perfect opportunity for any visiting group to pay their respects and lay a wreath to those who gave their lives.

Hill 60 is at the northern end of the Messines Ridge. Although just 60 metres above sea level, it was a crucial, strategic vantage point from where the Germans could look down onto Ypres. It was captured and recaptured many times by the opposing sides. As you ascend the hill you will be aware of certain remnants of the war such as the pillbox, mines and machine gun posts providing the group with the opportunity to explore.

Tyne Cot is the largest British military cemetery in the world with 11,871 graves. It lies at the top of the Passchendaele ridge. Students find this a very emotive place and it generates a strong feeling of respect and pride. The cemetery is perfectly maintained and very peaceful.

Langemarck German Cemetery is the only German cemetery in the Ypres Salient and is a stark contrast to Tyne Cot. It is an eerie place, predominantly black in colour with a sombre atmosphere. There are about 25,000 remains buried in mass graves with names recorded on metal slabs. Some of the soldiers buried here were student soldiers killed in the First Battle of Ypres in October and November 1914.

Essex Farm is a peaceful cemetery on the site of the dressing station where John MacCrae, author of the poem 'In Flanders Field', operated as a surgeon. The youngest soldier to die in the Ypres Salient, 15 year old Joe Strudwick from Dorking in Surrey, is buried here.

Hill 62 and Sanctuary Wood Museum

Hill 62 is so called because it is 62 metres above sea level. A small part of the original wood here has been preserved as it was at the end of the war. Of all the sites Hill 62 gives the best impression of conditions in the trenches. There is a network of trenches and underground tunnels that can be explored if you are in possession of the appropriate footwear and a torch, but be prepared, as it can be very muddy. Preserved by the Schier family since 1918, the site also houses a small museum containing an excellent collection of wartime photographs and relics.

The Memorial Museum - Passchendaele 1917 is set up in the historical castle of Zonnebeke just outside of Ypres. The museum has a large collection of historical artefacts, images and movies, life size diorama's as well as underground dugout tunnels. This interesting museum shows how the British had to live underground in the tunnels with communication and dressing post, headquarters, work places and dormitories.

Bellewaerde Park is a theme park close to Ypres with a great mix of attractions; Screaming Eagle, Boomerang, Pirate boat, as well as animals and nature. Between April and November groups can visit the park for a relaxing day at the end of their history tour or use the day for an educational programme outside of the classroom.

The Historial de la Grande Guerre museum is located in the medieval chateau of Peronne and is dedicated to the memory of the people who fought in and experienced the Great War. Based around four large rooms, the 'Historial' deals sensitively with the multi-cultural aspect of the war, demonstrating British, French and German exhibits. The museum also houses a small cinema, which shows a 20 minute film about Harry Fellows, a survivor of the Battle of the Somme who died in 1989. This film may be more beneficial to older students.

Delville Wood was the location of some of the Western Front's most savage and intense fighting. In 1916 the wood was obliterated by shellfire but has since been replanted. The brunt of the fighting was borne by the South African Brigade and the Delville Wood Memorial now serves as the South African National War Memorial for both World Wars.

The Lochnagar Crater is situated east of the village of La Boiselle and is very impressive. Approximately 90 metres in diameter and 60 metres deep, it was created by a mine detonated on 1st July 1916.

Musée Somme 1916, Albert

Albert was subject to continuous bombardment in the months before the Battle of the Somme. Built within the shelters constructed during the Second World War, most of the museum displays weapons of the era, wartime equipment and lifelike tableaux detailing trench life.

The Thiepval Memorial stands out from the surrounding countryside. It is dedicated to the 73,000 Allied troops who lost their lives in the Somme and who have no known grave. Standing 45 metres high on the old German frontline, it was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting of 1916 and remains a truly poignant reminder of the scale of the suffering encountered during the battle of the Somme. There is a new Visitor Centre, which is very interesting for school groups.

Newfoundland Park is a Canadian National Historic Site

A memorial to the Newfoundland Battalion, it remains very much as it was in 1916. Opened in 1925 and maintained by Veterans Affairs Canada, the site commemorates soldiers who died in the most dramatic days of the 1916 Campaign. Two opposing trench systems can be clearly seen. At least an hour is required to enable the groups to spend time at the interesting visitor centre, walk the battlefield and visit the cemeteries.

Vimy Ridge

This spectacular site centres on the Canadian Corp's superbly planned capture of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, an event that proved to be a turning point for the Allies in the First World War. The trenches and subways have been preserved and restored for visitors. On top of the ridge is the Vimy Memorial and a very interesting exhibition showing the history surrounding the battle.

What’s Included; -

• Return ferry / Eurotunnel crossing UK-France-UK

• Accommodation – Hotels, Hostels. (B&B, Half board, Full Board)

• Restaurant bookings

• Museums, cemeteries, theme parks and sites

• Experienced UK guides or Local guides

• Executive coach transfers as per the itinerary

• Dedicated tour manager to assist throughout your tour planning

• 24-hour on call, emergency assistance

Final packs:

• A chronological description of the museums and battlefields to be visited during your tour with in-depth commentary on the significant details of each site

• A Student Activity Checklist providing you with suggestions of tasks

• Background information on the key features

• Sections linking the work on the field trip to the required subject

• Full colour pictures and maps of the sites

• Student Worksheets and Teacher’s Guides

Transport

What’s Included; - Return ferry / Eurotunnel crossing UK-France-UK Executive coach transfers as per the itinerary Dedicated tour manager to assist throughout your tour planning 24-hour on call, emergency assistance

Accommodation

School Hotels Students will be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms, and staff in twins or singles (supplement may apply). All rooms are en-suite. Breakfast is served on site, and evening meals are taken at a nice restaurant in the town centre just two minutes' walk away. Packed lunches are available on request. Facilities can include a recreational room with TV, pool table, pinball machines, table football, free WiFi, a large garden, and a staff room with minibar and digital TV. Ypres & The Somme – The Menin Gate School Hotel, The Poppies School Hotel 1 & 2, The Salient School Hotel. Hotels Students will be accommodated in twin / multi-bedded rooms, and staff in twins or singles (supplement may apply). All rooms are en-suite. Breakfast is served on site, and evening meals are taken at local. Packed lunches are available on request. Ypres – Novotel Hotel Arras (Somme) – Express by Holiday Inn

Teacher checklist

Risk Assessments, Free Places, Education Packs, LOtC, ABTA, School Travel Forum, ATOL, Adventure Activity Associates, WYSE, RYA Centre, RYA Centre, IATA, ETOA, Expedition Providers Association, ASDAN Centre

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* Group usually start at a minimum of 10 with no maximum group size. For primary & middle schools we work on a 1:10 free place for a teacher. Tours range from 1 Day, 2 Day, 3 Day or more

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