Visiting
the Somme
TOURIST OFFICES
The main tourist office is in Amiens
at:
Comité Départmental
du Tourisme de La Somme
21 rue Ernst Cauvin
80000 Amiens
France
Tel: 0033 22 71 22 71
Web: http://www.somme-battlefields.com/
The one in Albert often operates
bizarre opening times, and an English speaking member of
staff is sometimes not available:
Office du Tourisme
Albert
9 rue Gambetta
BP 82
80300 Albert
France
Tel: 0033 3 22 75 16 42
Fax: 0033 3 22 75 11 72
Email: office_tourisme_albert@altavista.fr
GETTING THERE
The best route from Calais or the
Channel Tunnel is to follow the A26 motorway to near
Arras, and then take the A1 direction PARIS, leaving the
motorway at Exit 14 BAPAUME. This brings you in to the
Somme from the east. If you want to start your tour at
the Historial de
la Grande Guerre, leave at Exit 13.1 and follow
the signs for PERONNE.
Since the opening of the Albert
Picardie Airport, you can now fly into the Somme
Battlefields with regular flights from the UK. See Albert
Picardie Airport web page.
WHERE TO STAY
One of the most common questions
I get asked is about accommodation. I have listed many
of the hotels & B&Bs more commonly used by
British visitors to the Somme on the Somme
Information Page. If you require further
information about hotels and other accommodation visit
the Somme Tourist Office web site (above) which
has up to date information. Click on the link below:
SOMME
TOURIST BOARD WEB SITE
One point I will
make - book early!
The Somme can get busy at times!
HOUSES TO RENT
FLERS: Large detached British
owned house prominently located in the historic village
of Flers and overlooking the famous memorial to the 41st
Division. The house is currently being fitted out to an
extremely comfortable standard and offers excellent
accessibility to all major sites on the Somme
Battlefields. The towns of Bapaume, Albert, and the A26
motorway are all within a few minutes drive. The
property provides centrally heated and double glazed 2,
3, or 4 bedroom accommodation to suit your individual
requirements. For further details contact: Rory
Newsome, 31 Queens Grove Road, Chingford, London, E4
7BT, Tel: 0777-180-6664. Email:
Web: http://www.dinnakenhouse.com/
HAMEL:
Two new Gite de France gites in the middle of the
village, close to the Newfoundland Park and Thiepval, as
well as all the main locations. Fully equipped with
kitchen, TV and central heating, plus garden and BBQ
area. Both sleep 4-6 people. For further details contact
the owner: Mr Florent Vansuyt, 13 rue d'Hamel, 80300
Beaucourt sur l'Ancre, France. Tel: 0033 3 22 76 18 72.
Email: Fvansuyt@aol.com
Or book direct with Gites de France. Tel: 0033 3 22
71 22 70.
Web: http://www.gites-de-france.com/
LONGUEVAL: Full
equipped house that sleeps six in three rooms. Longueval
is only walking distance from Delville Wood and near all
the main sites. Discount for WFA members. For further
details contact: Mrs Jeannie Alexander, 27 Courtway
Avenue, Birmingham, B14 4PP. TEL: (0121) 430 5348.
Email: Battletour@aol.com
CAMPING
ALBERT: On the outskirts of the
town, this is a 2 star site and has 75 pitches. Contact:
Camping Le Velodrome, allée
charles queret, 80300 Albert, Somme. Tel: +33 3
22 75 22 53. The site has no web presence or
email. No English spoken.
AUTHUILLE: Close to Thiepval,
this site is very popular with English visitors. It has
toilet and shower facilities, and a restaurant on site
with a good reputation - The Cochon Salle - and
another down in the village of Authuille. Contact:
Camping Bellvue, 80300 Authuille, France. Tel: + 33 3 22
74 59 29. Fax: +33 3 22 74 05 14. The site has no web
presence or email. It has 96 pitches. No English spoken.
Open 1st March - 31st October.
MIRAUMONT: On the outskirts of
the village, which has a post office, shop and bar that
serves light food. The site has no web presence or
email. It has 65 pitches. Contact: Camping La Herelle,
Rue Poulain, 80360 Miraumont, France. Tel: +33 3 22 74
84 83. Fax: +33 3 22 74 84 83. No English spoken. Open
1st April - 15th October.
SOMEWHERE TO EAT
OLD BLIGHTY TEA ROOM, LA BOISSELLE: Run by
English couple Jon and Alison Haslock, it is situated in
the village close
to road which leads to the Lochnagar Mine Crater. Parking for cars, good
toilets and a range of food, plus a small bookshop
selling books, postcards and relics. Contact details:
1 RUE GEORGES CUVILLIER - 80300
Ovillers-la-boisselle, France.
Tel : 0033 3 22 64 09 16
BEAUCOURT: Open
every day from 11am to 7pm. Snack: pizzas, salads, fish
and chips, roast chicken, sandwiches, etc Tea Room:
English tea (Tetley and Yorkshire), cakes and
ice-creams. Shop: hand made crockery with poppies, AND
products containing poppies.
Contact details:
Philippe FERET, 1, route d’Albert
– 80300 BEAUMONT-HAMEL
Email: beaucourt-station@wanadoo.fr
Web: www.beaucourt-station.net
Tel: 0033 3 22 76 14 18
POZIÈRES: The
Tommy Café is run and owned by Dominique Zanardi and is
located on the main Albert-Bapaume road in the middle of
the village. It operates as a bar, lunches and evening
meals are available, and there is a great deal of First
World War material on display, including a life-size
trench system! Groups are welcome, but must book in
advance. For all enquiries contact:
TEL/FAX: 0033 3
22 74 82 84.
MUSEUM - MUSEE DES ABRIS, ALBERT
Situated in the heart of the Somme
Battlefields, in the town of Albert, the Musee des Abris
is a good starting place for any visit to this area.
Located in a series of tunnels below the Basillica
square (used as air-raid shelters in WW2), there are
reconstructions of trench scenes, dugouts, trench mortar
positions and tunneling. Thousands of items are on
display, along with a good film and many photographs and
maps. The shops sells some books, and numerous
battlefield relics (safe ones!). Opening hours are from
1st March to 15th December, 9.30 - 12.00 and 14.00 -
18.00. In July and August the museum is open all day.
Entry costs 4€ per adult and 2.5€ for children, with
under 6 year olds going free. Group rate is 3€ per
person Adults and Children aged 6-18 2€ per student.
For details contact:
TEL:
0033 (0)3 22 75 16 17
FAX: 0033 (0)3 22 75 56 33
EMAIL:
musee@somme-1916.org
Web: http://www.somme-1916.org/sitetrench/musee/index.htm
MUSEUM - HISTORIAL DE LA GRANDE
GUERRE, PERONNE
A very modern museum of the First
World War, it is located in some of the old ramparts and
chateau at Peronne. An interesting contrast to the Musee
des Abris, there is an excellent film and a good
bookshop, which takes credit cards. It is open from
10.00-18.00 between 1st April and 30th September,
including Sundays and Bank Holidays. Between 1st October
and 30th March it is open 10.00-18.00, except Mondays
and is closed from mid-December to mid-January.
For further details see the Museums
website:
http://www.historial.org/
DELVILLE WOOD VISITORS CENTRE,
LONGUEVAL
This site has undergone a number of
changes in recent years; it is now directly run by the South African
Government. There is a limited shop selling books,
postcards and snacks/drinks and there are also toilets and picnic benches. The Museum remains free, is open every day except
MONDAY, 10.00 until 17.45 in the main season, and 10.00
to 15.45 otherwise. Closed late November to early
February.
Website: http://www.delvillewood.com/
ULSTER TOWER, THIEPVAL
The Ulster Tower commemorates the men
of the 36th (Ulster) Division who fell on the Somme in
1916. It has a memorial room and visitors centre with
displays and a film about the attack on Thiepval.
Drinks, snacks and books are also on sale, and there are
clean and modern toilet facilities. Teddy and Phoebe
will ensure you have a warm Northern Ireland welcome!
The site is owned by the Somme
Association, and the Ulster Tower is open every day
except Monday. Opening hours are: 10.30 - 17.30 (April
to September) and 10.30 - 16.30 (October - November
& February-March). It is closed in December and
January. Entrance is free.
Tel: 0033 3 22 74 81 11.
Fax: 0033 3 22 74 80 68.
See also this page on my Old Front
Line site: Ulster
Tower.
THIEPVAL VISITORS CENTRE
Open in 2006, the Thiepval Centre is located
close to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing and tells
the story of the Somme battle in 1916. It also has a
database of men who are commemorated on the memorial,
and a good bookshop. English is spoken by the staff
here. There are toilets and parking for cars
and coaches. Open every day 0900-1700 from 1st November
to 28th February and 1000-1800 from 1st March to 31st
October.
Address: 8 rue de
l'Ancre,
80300 Thiepval,
France.
Tel: 00333 2274 6047
Email: thiepval@historial.org
Centre Website: Thiepval
Centre.
USEFUL BOOKS
Some useful books about the Somme
include:
Walking The Somme
- Paul Reed (Pen & Sword 1997)
Somme Battlefields - Les Coates (Tressel
Publications)
Before Endeavours Fade - Rose Coombes (After The
Battle)The Somme Then & Now - John Giles
(After The Battle)
Somme - Lyn MacDonald (Various editions)
The Somme Battlefields - Martin Middlebrook
(Penguin)
First Day on the Somme - Martin Middlebrook
(various editions)
The Somme Day by Day - Chris McCarthy (various
editions)
See also the Somme
Books page.
SOMME MAPS
The IGN Green Series
1/100,000 map No 4 'Arras-Laon' covers this area if you
are only going to drive the Somme. More detailed maps
can be found in the IGN Blue Series: four sheets
cover the main 1916 Battlefield. They can be ordered
from the IGN web site,
or can be purchased in the MAISON DE LA PRESSE
near the Musee des Abris in Albert and also at the
Historial in Peronne and Thiepval Visitors Centre - all
mentioned above.
Also worth looking into
is the Linesman system of using GPS with WW1
trench maps. See Great
War Digital for further information.
Email: info@somme-1916.com
