PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR OF THE ANCRE BATTLEFIELD

This page isn't intended to be a tourist guide to the Ancre Battlefield. This replaces the earlier one as I have been able to re photograph the land. I also have discovered some footpaths across it. On looking at trench maps from the era of the battle of the Ancre, I have found that the footpaths are where they we in 1916, the cemetery is in the same place so you can really walk the land as it was in 1916 except then there was barbed wire and mud, not the quiet pleasant farmland of today. I have included a then and now map with numbers noting where I took the photo from, I hope it gives you an idea of what is there today. The route for my tour and I can recommend it to anyone is to take the footpath that runs behind the civilian cemetery and follow it. It goes over the old battlefield of 1st July and 13th November and comes out at the Ancre British Cemetery, in the course of your walk you would have crossed both front lines. You can then turn right and carry on until you get to Hamel and turn right onto the road to Auchonvillers and 500 yds down this road take a footpath on the right. This takes you from behind the British front line and you walk over the top as such and nd up at the bottom of Y ravine and into Beaumont Hamel again. Take a trench map and the modern Blue Michellin series and you will re live history

Ancre Then

Ancre Now I have drawn in dark pen the position of the front lines 13th November 1916

Click on number for picture
PHOTOPOINT NUMBER  DIRECTION FACING                     
              1                   NE
              2                   E
              3                   S
              4                   NE
              5                   S
              6                   NE
              7                   N
              8                   E
              9                   E
              10                   W
              11                   E -not marked on now map
              12                   E-not marked on now map
              13                   SE

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