MICHAEL STEDMAN

THE QUESTION OF A VISITORS' CENTRE ON THE SOMME
AN UPDATE

Michael Stedman is the author of several important books on the Somme Battles of 1916. His work for the "Battleground Europe" series has resulted in books on the Thiepval, La Boisselle, Fricourt, Mametz and Guillemont areas, so his knowledge of  and feeling for the battlefields then and now is beyond doubt. In an earlier article which appeared on this site, Michael Stedman argued the case for the development of a Visitors' Centre within the Somme battlefield area.  In this update, he gives details of the most recent developments.

Some of you may have read my open letter, about the issue of a Visitors’ Centre on the Somme, which was posted on this web site a year ago. This is an update which you may find of interest. There is a likelihood that a Visitors’ Centre will soon be available near to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

The Previous Situation.

When I first wrote, almost twelve months ago, the issue of a visitor centre was merely an idea which had been in my mind for some years. When visiting Thiepval and the Memorial to the Missing I had often dwelt on how many of the visitors would have found an educative facility to be an enhancement of their time at this remarkable place. For those armed with expertise the memorial is self explanatory. But, to people who know little in advance of its origins, purpose and scale the memorial can be overwhelmingly complex without explanation. Away from cerebral matters it always seemed regrettable to me that on-site toilets and shelter were non existent at such an important location.

Nevertheless, there are, by most accepted measures, upwards of 120,000 visitors each year to the memorial. Some estimates put the numbers at closer to 180,000. If we broaden the net to include the village of Thiepval and its immediate locale, including the closely associated sites of Schwaben Redoubt, Authuille and St Pierre Divion the numbers exceed a quarter of a million. As time passes the background knowledge, expertise and family involvement of those visitors will seem more distant unless they have the advantage of preparatory reading and professional guided insights in the form of teachers and other historical specialists. Although commercial guidebooks and professional expertise are now more readily available to help our understanding the memorial’s facilities still do not match visitors’ expectations and today’s standards of welcome, convenience or explanation.

On first writing I told you that I would be communicating with Members of Parliament and the relevant Whitehall Departments. This I did at the very end of December 1998. I expressed the hope to those Departments that some of the memorial’s shortcomings could be rectified by the building of a Visitors’ Centre. The replies, from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and other departments, were non-committal, reflecting a view that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s work would not be enhanced by the presence of such a centre. Constraints on financial expenditure by central government were further cited as explaining the reluctance of any department to be involved. Some typical comments suggested that:

“It has become clear that there is a substantial body of opinion against developing battlefields; the word “overheritaging” has been used in this context....” [Mr.R.T.Coney. Defence Services Secretary. Ministry of Defence. 11/1/1999.]

“...this is not a project that lends itself to Government funding and, in the Secretary of State’s view, there are persuasive arguments against a commercial solution where there would probably be as many opponents as supporters.” [David Muat. Western European Department. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 25/3/1999.

“...the Department does not sponsor museums outside the UK, and is not in the business of creating museums in this country.” [Chris Sims. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 28/4/1999.]

These, initial, official responses were in stark contrast with the many individuals who wrote and e-mailed me to say how very much they supported the idea of a centre. Out of the hundreds who wrote to, spoke to and e-mailed me only two people expressed opposition to the idea. I have a file containing many expressions of support (and of course the two who expressed the opposite sentiments). Please feel free to continue sending messages on this issue to me. It all helps.

Recent Developments.

Almost concurrently with the appearance of my initial article on this web-site a newspaper piece in the Independent, inspired by Sir Frank Sanderson, also drew attention to the need for such a facility. Frank Sanderson also made contact with the Secretary of State for Defence, then George Robertson. Frank Sanderson’s persistence has resulted in far more progress than I could ever have imagined possible. Within the UK Frank’s initiative has the support of the British Legion. Such involvement will be necessary to maintain a charitable status for the centre. On a broader front it now seems likely that the Departement de la Somme as well as the European Commission will be prepared to offer considerable financial support. The CWGC has indicated that it will be willing to purchase masonry supplies at cost, thus reducing further the expenditure necessary to build the centre. This generosity will need to be matched by other sources such as British commercial interests, individuals and local authorities showing a willingness to be involved in raising sums of money. It may be that large donations from such sources should be recorded, on plaques within the centre, as having been instrumental in its financing. BP has already given £10,000. A similar sum has also been given through the offices of the British Embassy in Paris, suggesting that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is more willing than its initial response to me suggested.

The likely cost of the centre is in the region of £500,000. Plans are in progress which would, if the issue is approved and fully financed, result in a Visitors’ Centre being constructed within walking distance of the Lutyens Memorial to the Missing. It is hoped that discussions about the viability and precise siting of the centre will be concluded with the relevant French authorities by July of year 2000 and that initial construction work would begin in the autumn of that year. If all goes well it would be open by 1st July 2001.

The Proposed Centre.

I think you will agree that it is imperative the design of the new centre does not allow it to be seen as adding any commercialisation to the Somme’s place in history. The new centre would not be constructed on the land at Thiepval maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission but rather on land currently owned by Mme Genevieve Potie MBE. The centre, and vehicles parked in its vicinity, would not be visible from the memorial.

In order to make visits to the memorial as meaningful as possible the centre would provide discreet facilities for coach groups and drivers, classrooms with computerised and slide projection facilities, display areas, a bookshop, toilets and an area where light refreshments could be purchased and eaten. There will be a staff of two or three people on hand to provide continuous maintenance of the toilets, sales of printed and other materials and some expertise. The architectural and build quality of the proposed centre and its facilities is anticipated to be of unimpeachable quality and reflective of some of the structural features and building materials used in the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval.

Detailed and authoritative historical information would be provided for visitors in English, French and German language. The centre would give due regard to the role played by this important site during the German occupation of the village from the autumn of 1914 through to the autumn of 1916 when it was finally captured by the British Army’s 18th Division. The historical perspective would also detail what happened here during the spring and autumn of 1918. The site of this facility would overlook Thiepval Wood from whence the Tyneside Commercials and Salford Pals of the 32nd Division made their abortive assaults on Thiepval village on the morning of 1st July 1916.

Of course the centre would not focus exclusively upon events at Thiepval. It is hoped that the facilities would provide the opportunity for all visitors to reflect upon the enormously influential consequences of the fighting on the Ancre and Somme battlefields, for all concerned at the time and across subsequent generations. As more visitors travel to this deeply moving location in the future it is imperative that they have access to unbiased, accurate, authoritative and relevant information. All this must be done within a building whose design and ambience do not in any way detract from or undermine the lonely and poignant atmosphere which is the essence of the Lutyens Memorial to the Missing. At present many coaches park within sight of the memorial and visits are sometimes made without due preparation. Such a situation can detract from the memorial’s tone and tranquillity. The proposed Visitors’ Centre would rectify this situation by enhancing the ability of visitors to understand the impact of the Great War and draw meaningful lessons from their understanding.

I hope, when they are available, to provide those of you who are interested with some sort of artist’s impression of what is planned. However, that will have to wait until such time as those are available to me.

Michael Stedman. 18th November, 1999.

If you would like to contact Michael Stedman to give your views on the
subject of a Visitors' Centre for the Somme,
use this link to contact him via email.  
He will be pleased to hear from you.

or

Use this link to visit Michael Stedman's web-site.

Copyright © Michael Stedman, November, 1999.

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