Flanders or the Somme, anyone toured there?

Gotte

It's that time of year when I start looking forward to next year's tour. My friend and I are thinking of driving down from Manchester to Dover, leaving the car, and setting off via Dunkirk, for either Flanders or the Somme, both being keen on history, and particularly interested in WW1. ANyone been to either (or both) of the places? Anyone know how easy it is to leave a car in dover for a week or so, and how much it is likely to cost?

I am pretty familiar with Flanders, so I feel like I would know what I'm dealing with, but I've never been to the Somme. Anyone been there? How much is left from WW1? In flanders you get the feeling it's all still there, Is that the same with the Somme, or would it feel like I'm just touring through France?

Many thanks

Tim Farr

In 1998 I visited the battlefields of the Somme centred on the town of Albert which is 29km north east of Amiens on the D929. This was a trip by car so I can't advise about cycling there from the UK.

We stayed in Chambres d'Hotes (B&B) at La Ferme du Bois Galhaut at Querrieu - 11km up the D929 from Amiens. Converted stables of the country mansion which was the HQ of the British Army for the battle. Excellent accommodation but if you are staying a few days, perhaps a bit distant from Albert if you're on the bike, as Albert is on the southern edge of the battlefield.

Sites to visit - Delville Wood cemetery and the South African memorial; High Wood; Thiepval Memorial to 73000 who have no known grave; Lochnager Crater; trenches of the Newfoundland Regiment; museum in Peronne; loads of cemeteries. A good idea is to find out names of your local regiments - then locate some graves. In each cemetery there is a book in a hole in the wall with names and addresses of men buried in that graveyard. A visit to a German cemetery is also interesting - same religion different style.

It is a very interesting visit. Good luck.

Gotte

Thanks for that. Was there much evidence of the war other than the cemeteries? In Flanders there were some old Trench workings, countless pillboxes, and the most pressing reminder, unexploded shells in little piles by the freshly ploughed farmers' fields, left for the army auxilliery to dispose of.

Gotte

Thanks for that. Was there much evidence of the war other than the cemeteries? In Flanders there were some old Trench workings, countless pillboxes, and the most pressing reminder, unexploded shells in little piles by the freshly ploughed farmers' fields, left for the army auxilliery to dispose of.

Tim Farr

Somewhat similar - though I don't recall any pillboxes.

mikebcycling

Apologies if any of the following is 'teaching one's granny to suck eggs'.

I've toured on a couple of occasions recently through Flanders, staying in Veurne, Ypres and Mons. I can't recommend the 'In Flanders Fields' museum in the Cloth Hall in Ypres too highly and the Last Post ceremony at the Mennen Gate is very moving. Also worth seeing is the museum at Diksmuide which, as well as some interesting material on WW1, has a lot on the rise of Flemish nationalism. The bike routes are excellent in the area, LF6 being the major long-distance route through the south of Flanders. The Topogids 'Vlandeeren Fietsroute' covers the long-distance routes and you should be able to get that from Stanfords bookstore.

As I only discovered recently, they've adopted the info-points approach in their local routes. You need the maps to establish the series of numbered waypoints you want to follow, then it's just a matter of navigating from number to number. Simplicity itself and very effective. Apparently, some of the locals just stick the numbers involved on their crossbars and leave the maps at home!

For accommodation in the Netherlands and Flanders, you can't do better than the 'Vrienden op de Fiets' organisation. Costs 9 Euros to join but for that you get their book with access to around 3,600 addresses in the area and the overnight cost for bed and a very substantial breakfast is currently around 17 Euros a head. It's mainly families who don't do traditional B&B but just take in hikers and cyclists. You're very much welcomed into the household and we had some very entertaining discussions during our tour this summer. Their website is www.vriendenopdefiets.nl. There's a similar organisation covering only Flanders and called 'Gezinnen op de Fiets' www.gezinsbond.be. We haven't used them but I understand their approach is much the same. Given my lack of Flemish, I've yet to attempt to decipher their website but I got a copy of their address list from one of the 'Vrienden' we stayed with.

Hope that this is helpful.

culverwood

I cycled through the Somme on a longer tour to Italy as mentioned above there were many cemeteries of all sizes and I was not on the look out for them. I remember one not far from Thiepval which had more of the trench workings than the others I saw.

The terrain was by then pretty flat so very easy cycling.

Gotte

Thanks for that, much appreciated.

velowanderer

I go on holiday to the Somme region every spring, via Ieper, where I stay a few nights before moving on to stay at Albert for a week, paying my respects at one or two particular places, and generally pottering about. I can thoroughly recommend visiting this area by bike; there is plenty to see, although I do not know of any authentic original trenches like those that have been uncovered outside Ieper, except for the restored ones at Vimy.
My preferred route from Ieper is by way of Armentieres, La Bassee to Arras for a nights stop, then an easy mornings ride along to Albert. However, as I've got older and lazier - not riding every day nowadays as I should - it's more of a stooging along holiday now, and I've found an excellent mornings ride along the Deule river into Lille to avoid the horrendous main roads and autoroutes.
To save time, I make use of SNCF where possible, particularly returning home through Calais, as the regional TER trains all carry bikes.
I'll be happy to answer any particular questions if I can.

Gotte

Hey, thanks for that. Really useful info. Sorry I only just picked the message up now, but I've been away. I'll get back in touch when I come to serious planning. I imagine you'll be a mine of information.

pdstsp

We stayed in Arras when driving back from the Alps last year - the place is a lot nicer when you get there than the approaches suggest! The Canadian monumnet at Vimy just outside Arras is deeply moving - the area around has been left largly unrouched and the shell craters etc give an idea of what the place must have looked like. We were there on a sunday and there were hundreds of runners and cyclists out in the area which had a feeling of being a huge park.

Second vote also for the museum in the Cloth Hall in Ieper - difficult to keep a dry eye.

Also the British monument and graveyard at Paschendaele (spelling?) where it is impossible to keep a dry eye.