History school trips to Ypres & Somme

Behind the monumental gate of rosy sandstone at Langemark German Military Cemetery are the graves of 44,061 German soldiers, who fell in vain in October 1914 during military attempts to approach Ypres. During your visit, students can learn about the journey and the lives of the fallen soldiers – 3,000 of them were cadets and student volunteers of the 22nd to 27th Reserve Corps.

The largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world – for any war – Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing commemorates British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealander and South African soldiers lost in the First World War. Buried here are several recipients of the Victoria Cross – the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system.

A moving experience for students, the Poperinge Death Cells will give your group an insight into the terrible treatment of soldiers who were kept here prior to their execution for reasons of cowardice and desertion. The cells also offer a unique opportunity to discuss the unimaginable impact of fighting on the frontlines among your students, and how our understanding of this has changed over the last century.

A prominent symbol of the First World War designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, Menin Gate has the names of almost 55,000 missing British soldiers engraved on its walls. We recommend visiting the edifice with your students in the evening; at 8pm each night, buglers of the local fire brigade play The Last Post as a traditional final salute to the fallen soldiers of WWI, and a humbling experience for your students.

Arguably the best and most in depth museum to commemorate the events of the First World War, Ypres’ In Flanders Field Museum offers students a real insight into the devastating events that took place from 1914 to 1918. We’ve seen students captivated by the experiences of the people living in Westhoek at the time of the First World War, and would recommend your group spend a good couple of hours here.

Pay tribute to the fallen soldiers of the First World War at this historic burial ground, where 1,204 dead are commemorated, of which 104 are unidentified. The cemetery, which was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is located within the John McCrae Memorial Site; it was here that the Canadian Lieutenant Colonel wrote the poem 'In Flanders Fields' in May 1915.

The museum gives an amazing impression of the bloody battle of Passchendaele in 1917 where 500,000 lost their lives. The museum also exhibits a superbly realistic British underground bunker system, where you can see the communication and the dressing post, headquarters and dorms.

A must-visit for school groups studying the First World War, the Hooge Crater Museum has been voted the best museum in Belgium on several occasions, having become well-known for its life-size reconstructions of WWI battle scenes and an extensive collection of weapons, equipment and photographs. An excursion you and your students won’t want to miss.

From December 1915, and for more than three years, two chaplains from the British Army set up Talbot House to provide rest and recreation to all soldiers that passed through, regardless of their rank. Today, as real as more than 100 years ago, the place offers a welcoming and friendly stop in Flanders. Come and see where the men stayed and sought solace from the war.

Take your students underground for a unique perspective of the Battle of the Somme at this museum, where they’ll be able to imagine the daily lives of soldiers during the First World War. Alongside fighting, there were several different occupations and tasks allocated to the troops; here, students will also be able to view pastime games and trench crafts. Our recommendation? Visit after 3pm to allow your group the chance to see everything uninterrupted.

The resting place of nurse Vera Brittain’s fiancée, Lieutenant Roland Leighton, the British poet and soldier, made posthumously famous by her best-selling 1933 memoir, Testament of Youth.

Get a sense of scale standing on the edge of this mine crater, which was sprung at 7:28am on 1st July 1916 by British troops. The charge was placed beneath the German lines on the British section of the frontline to assist the infantry advance at the start of the Battle of the Somme. It left a crater 30 metres deep and 100 metres wide that now serves as a symbolic place to remember and reflect by all nations.

Designated as a strategic site for the wounded in the Ypres Salient, Lijssenthoek played a crucial part in the First World War. We recommend downloading the official smartphone app to accompany your students’ walk through the cemetery, which will deepen their understanding of the site through real examples of people such as Nurse Jane and gardener Tom.

Come to Ovillers-la-Boiselle and you’ll find a settlement that dates back to pre-Roman times, yet which was completely rebuilt following its destruction during the First World War. The Western Front ran through the commune between 1914 and 1916, marking it as an apt location for your students to learn about the heavy fighting during the Battle of the Somme – standing upon the very soil on which it happened.

This Memorial to the Missing of the Somme bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South Africa who fell in the Battle of the Somme in the First World War, with no known grave. A humbling experience for your students where they can contemplate and develop their understanding of this landmark battle.

The Ulster Tower is a memorial to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Upon attacking a German stronghold, known as Schwaben Redoubt, about 5,000 of the division were lost – half of their strength. The tower is a replica of Helen’s Tower in County Down, Northern Ireland, where the men of the 36th trained.

A memorial site dedicated to the Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed or missing in the First World War, Vimy Ridge commemorates the first time all four divisions of the Force participated in a battle as a cohesive formation. Wartime tunnels, preserved trenches and unexploded munitions are still scattered throughout the nearby forest, making it inaccessible to visitors and this memorial best suited to older school groups.

Dedicated to the Dominion of Newfoundland forces members who were killed during the First World War, the Beaumont-Hamel Memorial encompasses the grounds over which the Canadian province’s Regiment made their unsuccessful attack in the Battle of the Somme. Here, students can learn about the regiment’s first major war engagement, while paying their respects to the fallen soldiers.

Built in 1954, Bellewaerde is the oldest theme park in Belgium. Students will fall in love with the various attractions on offer, which include thrilling rollercoaster rides, an indoor aquapark, live stunt shows, a zoo boasting over 300 exotic animals and behind the scenes educational tours of the park. Due to Bellewaerde’s close proximity to Ypres, a day trip can be combined with a visit to the Hooge Crater as part of a WW1 battlefields tour.

Built in commemoration of the more than 500,000 British and Commonwealth troops who perished in the three battles fought for the Ypres Salient, St George’s Memorial Church is today both an Anglican church and Belgian national monument. During your visit, students can look through the church’s many plaques and memorials to those lost in the First World War.

The famous British war memorial of WW1 and by far the most important edifice in Ieper (Ypres) to the British visitor. The Last Post, the traditional final salute to the fallen is played by buglers in honour of the memory of the soldiers who died in Ypres. Members of the local Fire Brigade play at 8pm every single night and aim to maintain this daily act of homage in perpetuity.