lochnagar crater

It takes you back to July 1st 1916 more than almost anything else. It is well maintained - unlike Hawthorn Ridge

Well worth a visit, you can't believe the size of this crater. There was a decked path to walk around it. Cafe van nearby for refreshments . Worth a visit

We have visited the crater many times but it has a habit of drawing us back ... even though we have no personal family connection to it. It is a site of tremendous significance within the WW1 Somme 'story' &, as such, it will always get an 'Excellent' rating from me. Yes it is a hole in the ground but, in reality, it is where WW1 soldiers were unintentionally laid to rest. Regardless of their nationality, it is a hole in the ground that deserves great respect. Parking is more difficult than it used to be - once, cars and coaches could use a natural hard-standing to park on (opposite the crater site) but this has been ploughed up now :-( A small hammer-head has been created adjacent to the entrance to the site - and this makes turning considerably easier as the lane is quite narrow+. A notice from the owner informs visitors that negotiations are being held with the local Mayor to see if something more favourable/long-term can be done. The private owner and volunteers do a fantastic job in maintaining the site, in order that the many visitors can appreciate the crater. To give an example, when we arrived (immediately after a great B&B breakfast at La Boisselle) early one morning, we were the first to arrive ... by the time we left, a third coach-load of children/students was drawing up. The board-walk has been improved - every plank has a non-slip strip attached to it now plus the slope at the beginning has hand-rails. Wheel-chairs can make it up quite close to the Cross and for a short distance at the crater's edge. The terrain around the crater would, I imagine, make it near-impossible to create wheelchair access around the whole circumference. Owner/volunteers are doing all they can to enhance a visit but, I would say, the onus must be on the visitor to take responsibility for their own safety. In such an environment, there is a limit to what a visitor should expect from such a location.On some of the planks, there are engraved Memorial Plaques. This is a new idea and, I think the purchase fees for these plaques must help bring in much-needed funding for up-keep and maintaintence costs. The 1 (one) 'Poor' reviewer asked "Why put soldiers names in the wooden walkway? ..... it is NOT a British memorial ....". Life is not black and white though, is it? People are seldom or never permanently commemorated on the spot where they die (especially not during WW1) - so it could be asked 'why not put memorial plaques on the board' if it keeps the memory of any WW1 combatant alive further and helps the Lochnagar Crater in the process?

Our guide David is a friend of Lochnagar and his knowledge and passion for the site is evident. Worth a visit to see how it sits in the Somme landscape

OK a glib title, but as I stood gazing into the huge crater it was how I felt as I pondered a while the impact of the explosion, (said to be the largest non-nuclear explosion, ever), on the men abe those around as soldiers on both sides went into battle. We will remember.