Pozieres British Cemetery
The Somme - 1916
Tour Over Three Days (One full day and two half days) -
from £529 for your vehicle, driver and one passenger
© Content, itineraries and tours copyright Battlefields by 4x4 LLP (Registered in England and Wales - Reg OC398338) Terms and Conditions
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The
Battle
of
The
Somme
was
designed
to
act
as
a
diversion
in
order
to
ease
the
pressure
on
the
French
army
in
the
Verdun
area.
After
a
week-long
artillery
bombardment,
it
opened
on
the
morning
of
1
July
1916
with
the
detonation
of
a
series
of
underground
mines
along
a
front
that
was
less
than
15
miles
long.
These
explosions
signalled
the
start
of
months
of
bloody
and
muddy
attrition
across
a
relatively
small area of Picardie in Northern France
The
Battle
of
the
Somme
was
one
of
the
defining
events
of
the
First
World
War
and
is
often
remembered
for
the
huge
losses
on
the
first
day
but
the
Somme
offensive
continued
over
the
following
months - a total of 141 days - and men from every part of Britain and across the Empire took part.
When
it
was
halted
in
November,
more
than
1,000,000
Commonwealth,
French
and
German
soldiers
had been wounded, captured, or killed.
•
Somme 1916 underground tunnel
museum
•
Ovillers Military Cemetery
•
The vistas of the Frontline and the
ground fought over
•
Thiepval Memorial to the Missing
•
Lochnagar Crater
•
Fricourt German Cemetery
•
South African National Memorial &
Delville Wood Cemetery
•
Pozieres British Cemetery and
Memorial
•
Newfoundland Memorial Park
•
The Sunken Lane, Beaumont Hamel
Tour Highlights
O
ur
tour
starts
from
the
historical
town
of
Albert,
a
place
in
which
soldiers
of
1916
were billeted just behind the British lines.
Most
visitors
travel
around
the
battlefields
by
car
or
bus;
however,
on
our
tours
we
rarely see other vehicles on the lanes we use to traverse the area.
Over
three
days
we
will
give
you
an
insight
from
a
different
perspective
of
this
famous
battlefield,
travelling
in
a
small
convoy
of
5-6
vehicles,
on
tracks
once
trod
by
infantry.
You’ll
receive
CB
commentary
as
we
drive
along
our
route
so
you
can
really
get
a
sense of where troops came from and what their objectives were.
To
book,
click
on
the
link
for
your
chosen
date.
We
only
require
a
£100
deposit
per
vehicle
or
full
payment
if
the
tour
is
less
than
six
weeks
away.
Eight
weeks
before
the
tour
we
will
send
you
a
balance
request
and
invoice.
Once
the
balance
is
paid
we
will
send
you
an
information
pack
including
meeting
places,
times,
booking
references
etc.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at:
info@battlefieldsby4x4.com
Friday-Sunday
25-27
SEPTEMBER
2023 DATES
Costs below are for your vehicle,
driver and one passenger.
Just £100 deposit required at booking
to secure your place
If you’d like to be informed if additional
dates become available, click below
HOTEL BASED
£699
Friday-Sunday
10-12
NOV
This is our last available
tour for 2023. Book now to
avoid disappointment as
number are strictly limited
Example Itinerary:
Day 1
Independent travel to Albert, Somme.
Welcome, introductions and briefing.
The tour starts with a guided tour of the tunnels beneath the Basilica of the town that
were used as a refuge by the civilians who remained throughout the fighting, but now
house the Somme 1916 museum. On leaving the museum we head out of town and
drive along a some tracks stopping in Mash Valley, our route then takes us near
Courcelette, Mouquet Farm and finishing the day at Thiepval Memorial to the Missing
which contains the names of more than 72,000 British and South African soldiers who
have no known grave.
Arrival time back at Albert around 17:30
We usually have a table booked for 19:30 at a well-appointed restaurant just outside
Albert. This is optional but gives you chance to relax after your journey and also get to
know each other over four delicious, typically French courses in a local restaurant.
The cost is approximately €35pp including wine.
Day 2
Meet at a local supermarket so you can stock up on fuel and provisions for the day
before setting out, using many green lanes, to venture to key areas of the battlefield.
We visit the Lochnagar Crater, caused by the detonation of 28 tons of high explosive
at 07.28 on that fateful day. We move on to Fricourt German cemetery to see how
Germany commemorates its war dead. We cover Mametz Wood and the Welsh
Dragon just before our lunch stop at Delville Wood.
In the afternoon, we travel on tracks once trod by infantry as they advanced to their
start points in the attack that saw the Tank go into action for the very first time. We
visit a German bunker and will see villages that were occupied, fought over and
liberated but in the process, were completely destroyed.
We finish the day at Pozieres British Cemetery and Memorial, normally around 17:00
Day 3
During the last day of the Tour we travel up the Ancre Valley, use tracks adjacent to
the Frontlines and visit the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel where
preserved trenches can be seen and walked in. The landscape here hasn’t changed
in over 100 years.
We move on to the Sunken Lane, Redan Ridge and the battlefields around Serre,
land that saw intense and devastating fighting as we head via the Schwaben Redoubt
towards the final stop, close to Albert around 1pm.
(Non-contractual Tour example, subject to alteration when necessary)
Tour cost includes your vehicle, driver and one
passenger
•
Extra adults are £199 each for the tour
•
Children aged 11-15 are £99 when sharing a room with parents
•
Children aged 10 and under are free, when sharing a room with parents
What’s included in the tour?
•
Hotel room for Hotel based tours - based on two sharing. Extra rooms are
charged at cost, currently around £250 for the two nights
•
Hotel rooms are twin bedded (can be changed to double room on request,
subject to availability) and include breakfast
•
An information pack that includes a colour bound booklet containing a series of
photographs pertinent to the Tour as well as additional reading pages (not taster
days)
•
All campsite and electric fees for camping based tours
•
Museum visits as part of the tour
•
A memorable Tour using your own vehicle
•
Running commentary
•
Loan of a handheld CB radio if required
•
‘Special Anniversary Tours’ include a three/four course meal at a local restaurant
and other exclusive offerings
What's not included:
•
Food and refreshments
•
Ferry or Eurotunnel Crossing
•
Any extras at campsite
•
Any extras, bar, restaurants etc at hotel.
•
Hotel on camping based tours
•
Fuel
•
Tolls
•
Visits to museums and visitor centres outside of the tour
If you are ready to book, click the ‘Book Now’ button next to your chosen date
above. Remember, we only require a £100 deposit if your chosen tour is more than
eight weeks away.