Where to stay on the
Somme
(More places to follow during the summer)
This section (which will be growing soon) gives details of accomodation in the "Departement de la Somme" in Northern France. Non-italic type indicates that I am the author of the descriptive text, writing from personal knowledge. Italic type indicates that I'm using information which has been sent to me.
Les Bieffes is a beautifully restored house which stands in the village of Mailly-Maillet, just a few minutes' drive from the front-line position of 1st July, 1916. The house has three en-suite guest-rooms:
Two Single Beds, Bathroom & WC The house stands on the road from Mailly-Maillet to Serre, where the Pals Battalions made their attack at the opening of the battle, and is well-placed for visits to all parts of the Somme battlefields. Just five minutes' drive away are the village of Serre itself, Serre Road No 2 Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery - the largest on the Somme - and the Sheffield Memorial Park which is dedicated to the memory of the Sheffield City Battalion but which contains the remnant of the attack trench of the Accrington Pals and access to three more cemeteries. One road junction a few minutes from the house gives almost direct routes to the Newfoundland Memorial Park, the village of Auchonvillers and the village of Beaumont Hamel, with the Hawthorn Ridge mine crater and the Sunken Lane easily accessible on foot as the road enters the village. Allow 15 minutes for the drive and the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval, the Ulster Tower, Aveluy and Pozieres are within reach. These are some of the Great War sites which can be reached from Les Bieffes in just a few minutes, but almost anywhere on the Somme can be reached by car in about 30 minutes at most, provided that one can resist the temptation to stop and look at other interesting sites on the way. Mailly-Maillet itself was not one of the fortified villages which formed the front lines of 1916. It was one of the assembly-areas just behind the front lines, and many battalions passed through, or camped in the Wood as they prepared for the attack. Because the village was not in the front line, it was not completely destroyed in the war, and some houses from before 1914 still remain. Les Bieffes is one of them, although it was struck by shells from time to time. In 1917, the Canadians used the house as a hospital, building a wall of sandbags from street level to the roof, to protect it. Mailly-Maillet gives an idea of what a Somme village must have looked like before the war. There are older houses and farms than in many villages but the finest building is the church. The West wall is covered in beautiful mediaeval carvings. This wall faced away from the trenches and was further protected by the priest, who had the entire wall covered in brushwood. The church suffered a few hits, but the West wall survived - a rare reminder of what the churches in the other Somme villages must have looked like before they were completely destroyed. Les Bieffes is a very friendly place to stay. My friend Mme. Pecourt, whose home this is, gives all visitors a warm welcome and her cooking is wonderful. I have stayed here myself and so have many other people who contacted me to ask for advice on where to stay on the Somme. Each one took home very happy memories of time spent here. |
Les
Bieffes Tel: 00 33 322 762144
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| This house stands in the village of Auchonvillers, just a few minutes'
walk from the front line positions for the attack on Beaumont Hamel on 1st
July, 1916, and also very close to the Newfoundland Memorial Park.
The house which orginally stood here was completely destroyed during the war and afterwards the present house was built over the cellar of the original one. The cellar still bears evidence of its occupation by British troops when the house was used as an aid-post during the Somme battles. Avril Williams is very proud and protective of this heritage and has worked hard to discover and preserve the history of the site. The original brick-floored trench giving access to the cellar has recently been found and archaeological excavations are continuing on what is probably the site of another cellar which would have been under one of the out-buildings beside the road. I have never stayed at Avril's house myself, but I have visited often, especially to make use of the tea room in the newly-converted stable. Apart from the welcome cups of tea and coffee, the tea room also offers snacks and light meals during the day.
Click here
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Avril
Williams Tel 00 33 322 76 23 66
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| A different type of accommodation this - a whole house available to let,
but available for small groups or even a couple. Dinnaken House is
located in the tranquil and historic village of Flers surrounded by countryside
forever associated with the first use of tanks in warfare. The self-catering
home overlooks the famous memorial to the 41st Division who captured the
village in September 1916.
Flers is a very good base for a driving visit to the somme. Just about everywhere is within easy reach. The towns of albert and Bapaume (with a convenient junction on the A1 Motorway) are minutes away by car.
Situated at the heart of the 1916 Somme battlefields, the house is well positioned for visits to the Arras, Cambrai and Villers Bretonneux World War One areas. The Picardy area of France offers activities including, fishing, golf and sight-seeing within the Somme valley. Visits to Amiens, St Quentin, Lille and Ypres are well within reach by car.The property is set out to provide centrally heated and double glazed 1, 2, 3, or 4 bedroom accommodation to suit your individual requirements. The living space is predominantly laid out at first floor level with the front rooms offering superb views over the 41st Division memorial, a picture of which adorns the cover of Rose Coombs legendary guide to the battlefields ~ "Before Endeavours Fade"
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Dinnaken
House
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