lochnagar crater

The size and depth of the crater - 300ft in diameter and 70 ft deep - is truly breathtaking and a sobering reminder of the devastation of war. The memorial to those who fell on all sides of the conflict is a poignant reminder of them and the families they left behind

As you arrive here there is nothing but peaceful rolling hills and farmland. A short stroll brings you to a mind numbing huge crater. If you were uninformed you would think that a meteorite had crashed here. It is hard to believe that it was caused by a bomb. I can't imagine the horror that must have been felt by the brave men that fought here.

Like all site in the somme area. Each tell there own story. This is a must visit just for the shear scale

Don't be tempted to think "it's just a crater". It is HUGE, and there's a remarkable story to be told and remembered here. A sobering place.

This crater stands in honour of thousands who died when 27 tons of TNT were set off here during WW1. Unbelievably tragic!

Well what can I say about a hole in the ground? it's incredible that it's man made, looks like a meteor strike. If your in the area and interested in WWI history then take a visit, also nearby is a British run Tea Shop.

Views from the site across fields filled with poppies are breathtaking. Walk at the edge of the fields and you'll find small relics of the battle. Cartridges, barbed wire, shell casings.

Visiting 'Le grand mine' allows the visitor to experience a contrast to the more formal memorials and cemeteries of the Somme region, and allows a different perspective of the battlefield. The crater itself was created by British miners and demonstrates the sheer power of this tactic. The facilities are fairly limited with restricted parking, however there is information explaining the site and a well maintained boardwalk which allows you to walk around the crater and appreciate it's size. The entry is free and there are no toilet/refreshment facilities. Visit recommended.

This is a huge crater formed by the explosion of a British tunnelled mine, which exploded at 07:28 on the 1st July 1916. In our group many photographs were taken but everyone said that no photograph did justice to the enormous crater caused by the explosion of 28,000 kg of explosives.The sound of the explosion was heard in London.It is the most visited site in the area and is not to be missed off your itinerary.

a brilliant and slightly different twist to the usual museums of the area. its good this has been preserved as a reminder that not all casualties were soldiers - miners were heavily involved as well.

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.