First World War Study Course to France & Belgium

The impact and significance of the Great War now forms a cornerstone of most Modern History courses and our First World War Study Courses tie in with the requirements of the National Curriculum. You can study both the Somme and the Ypres Salient on the same tour, maximising the educational content whilst minimising costs.

The Somme

In 1914, after penetrating 300km into France, the German army was held and had to dig in at the valley of the Somme, eventually forming a front from the North Sea to the Swiss border. Visit Vimy Ridge, Newfoundland Park trenches at Beaumont- Hamel, Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, the Ulster Tower and Lochnagar Crater at La Boisselle.

The Ypres Salient

Ypres was considered strategically invaluable as it was the last defensible point between the advancing German armies and the ports of Northern France. If they fell, France was lost and England was in great danger. The Ypres Salient was the bulge in the front-line which exposed the Allied forces to attack from three sides. The In Flanders Field Museum gives a graphic illustration of life during the Great War. Your guided tour will take you to Tyne Cot Cemetery, Hill 62/Sanctuary Wood British trenches, Langemarck German Cemetery and St. Julien Gas Attack Memorial.

The Somme Excursions

• Vimy Ridge - The Canadian Memorial on the site of Hill 145. The taking of the Ridge was a major turning point for the Allied forces.
• Thiepval Memorial - Engraved with the names of 73,367 British soldiers who were reported 'missing in action' in the Thiepval area.
• Beaumont Hamel Memorial Park - One of the few preserved battlefields on the Western Front.
• Delville Wood - The Memorial is dedicated to the many South African soldiers who lost their lives during both World Wars.
• La Boiselle/Lochnagar Crater - See the only crater open to the public.
• Ulster Tower - The Memorial is dedicated to the 36th Irish Division, trapped between British and German gunners, losing 5,500 men in a matter of hours.
• Historial de la Grande Guerre, Peronne - A triangular museum giving insight into the act of war: political, social and cultural.
• Lochnager Crater - Caused by two bombs one weighing 24,000lbs, the other 30,000lbs.

The Ypres Salient Excursions

• Vimy Ridge - The Canadian Memorial on the site of Hill 145. The taking of the Ridge was a major turning point for the Allied forces.
• Menin Gate - The War Memorial with the names of 54,896 missing soldiers engraved on the walls.
• In Flanders Fields Museum - Housed in the reconstructed Medieval Cloth Hall, this interactive museum reveals a true picture of warfare and the Ypres Salient.
• Tyne Cot - The largest cemetery in the region. The white tombstones are arranged around the 'Cross of Sacrifice'.
• Hill 62 & Sanctuary Wood - A small part of the wood has been preserved for visitors to see an authentic section of the trenches.
• Langemarck Cemetery - The only German Cemetery in the Salient. An Oak panel at the entrance lists the names of all those 'missing in action'.
• Poperinge - The small town was behind the front line and the place where soldiers stayed when on leave.
• Essex Farm - The renovated dugout. It was here that the Canadian medic John McCrae wrote the famous war poem 'In Flanders Fields'.
• St Julien Gas Attack Memorial - Dedicated to the Canadians who died in the gas attack during the Second Battle of Ypres.