Guiding you over the First World War Battlefields of northern France
Tour the World War One battlefields of north-western France with Bart Metselaar.
Bart is a battlefield historian and cartographer for the Battleground Europe series of Pen & Sword Books.
Bart will join you in your car for either a 4 hour or a 8 hour tour of a wide array of battlefields and connected subjects. For instance: the Somme offensive, Vimy Ridge, Americans in the Somme, the French sector, writers and poets in the Somme and the trail of the Red Baron, or a mix at your discretion. Also will do ancestry, subject to available information.
Tours start at our B&B in Beaucourt-sur-l’Ancre at 09.00 in the am.
FULL DAY TOURS – €250
- starting time 09.00 AM
- duration approx. 8 hours
- I will join you in your car
- Can mix some of the tours according to your wishes
- lunchpackage available by request (€10,-)
Departure
SOMME BATTLEFIELD TOUR; British Sector.
I will guide you and tell the history of the British big push, it’s soldiers and their endeavours.
- Commonwealth and German cemeteries
- Memorials
- Preserved trenches
- Mine craters
- Wide viewpoints
SOMME BATTLEFIELD TOUR; French Sector.
A full day tour over the often neglected French sector of the Somme Battle
- French and German cemeteries
- Memorials
- Preserved trenches
- Wide viewpoints
- Destroyed village
BATTLES OF ARTOIS AND VIMY RIDGE.
From 1914 this area was much contested in three battles of the Artois, culminating in the Canadian Vimy Ridge offensive
- French, German and Commonwealth cemeteries
- Memorials
- Preserved trenches
- Mine craters
- Wide viewpoints
TOUR OF THE AEF ON THE SOMME, SOUTH
The United States involvement on the Somme in 1916-1918. A tour of their earliest battles were fought in the Somme
- Cantigny
- Le Hamel
- Alan Seeger
- Memorials
- Medal of Honors
- Wide viewpoints
TOUR OF THE AEF ON THE SOMME, EAST
The United States involvement on the Somme in 1917-1918. A tour of their involvement since 1917 and the breaching of the Hindenburg Line
- Gouzeaucourt
- Bony
- Riqueval
- Memorials
- Medal of Honors
- Wide viewpoints
AUSTRALIAN TOUR 1916/17
- Pozières
- Mouquet Farm
- Bullecourt
AUSTRALIAN SOMME TOUR 1918
- Villers-Brettonneux
- Le Hamel
- Assevillers
- Mont-St. Quentin
- Bellenglise
WRITERS AND POETS ON THE SOMME
Leighton, Britain, Owen, Sassoon, Graves, Knaap, Sorge, Cendrars, Tolkien, Gilson, Shepard, Milne, Lichtenstein, Seeger, Hodgson.
Bart was an incredible host! His deep knowledge of the Somme and the First World War was exceptional. He hosted my family and me (visiting from New Zealand) and tailored a tour specifically to what we wanted to learn and see. He even went the extra mile to pinpoint a location where a family member had fallen during the battles. His passion and respect for the history were unmatched, and the experience was both moving and unforgettable. We couldn’t recommend him more highly – he’s absolutely amazing!
Rose, New Zealand
Very warm welcome, very nice and helpful couple Bart and Karen who run this Bed and Breakfast. Clean and orderly rooms. Good breakfast, affordable prices for the range of additional drinks such as soft drinks, wine and beer. Dinner 3 courses is good and only € 25. The location is quiet and has a terrace and a large garden. Parking is free on the private paved area. Bart has an enormous knowledge of the First World War and is also a guide, the profession which he carries out with enthusiasm and passion. Definitely recommended, there are full or half day tours. Thank you Bart and Karen for the nice welcome.
Mark, Netherlands
SELECTED REVIEWS
Bart Metselaar guided three of us around the WW1 battlefields and cemeteries on a full day tour. He is an excellent guide, full of enthusiasm and knowledge. We would recommend him to anyone, plarticularly because he was very happy to build the tour around the places where our ancestors had founght. It was really amazing, literally walking in the same field as where my great uncle was injured on 19 February 1917.
Ian, United Kingdom
I went through the Albert tourist office for a recommendation of a guide who could speak English. We were recommended Bart Metselaar and he was outstandingly good. I recognised his name: Bart works on the cartography of the Somme battlefield ground for Nigel Cave’s work in the ‘Pen and Sword’ publications of the Western Front. You could not have a finer guide for finding specific trench lines (aided by his linesman softwear) and understanding what specific groups of soldiers saw ahead of them. Bart has a much deeper knowledge than the kind of guided tour that takes people en masse to the main sites like Thiepval and he is sensitive to the needs of the people in front of him and keen enough to research details that are unfamiliar to him. In short, a gem of a guide. Highly recommended.
I was highly recommended to Bart and his tours through a ww1 page. And I’m so glad that I booked him for a special tour. Me and my father came to the Somme to visit the graves of recently discovered ancestors. Bart put together a bespoke tour of my ancestors final days in battle, casualty clearing stations and finally where he was laid to rest. The tour was also packed full of information of his battallion, and interesting facts around the local area and battlegrounds. We had all of our many questions answered. Bart put together a booklet of our tour and gave it to us so we will always have this information. He even took a beautiful photo of myself and my father at the grave. A sad but such a fantastic day to finally visit our ancestor. And now we know so much more about his wartime thanks to Bart’s efforts. I cannot recommend his services enough. He went above and beyond to pin point exactly where our soldier was through reading war diary’s and trench maps etc Something I struggled to accomplish for years. After our tour we were invited into Bart and Karen’s lovely b&b for coffee and snacks which is full of amazing memorabilia. Lovely Warm and welcoming couple. B&B is in the heart of the Somme. Thank you Bart and Karen from the bottom of my heart!
Daryl, United Kingdom
MORNING TOURS €125
- Starting 09.00 AM
- Duration approx. 4 hours
- I will join you in your car
- Can mix some of the tours according to your wishes
Departure
SOMME BATTLEFIELD TOUR; British north sector.
I will guide you and tell the history of the British big push, 1 July on the north-side of the Albert-Bapaume Road.
SOMME BATTLEFIELD TOUR; British south sector.
I will guide you and tell the history of the British big push, 1 July on the south-side of the Albert-Bapaume Road
SOMME BATTLEFIELD TOUR; the continuing battle.
I will guide you and tell the history of the enduring and attritional Battle after 1 July.
SOMME BATTLEFIELD TOUR; the Battle of the Ancre
I will guide you and tell the history of the final Battle of the Somme Offensive
THE BATTLE OF HIGH WOOD
I will guide you and tell the history of this 63 day battle for this crucial part of the Battlefield
TRAILING THE RED BARON ‘VON RICHTHOFEN’
(±6 HOURS TOUR; €150)
We will be following the last day and flight of the fabled Red Baron. From take off to crash, and everything in between.
Bespoke tours
I will do bespoke tours in consultation to your personal wishes, price depending on work and duration. Email me for information.
Large groups
Different rates apply for large groups and coaches/buses and may depend on the amount of research/preparation that might have to be done.
Not included
Entrance fees for museums are not included in the price of the tours.
Some of the tours include some stout walking in, probably, muddy conditions. Appropriate footware is strongly recommended.
Digging or using metal detectors are absolutely prohibited and subject to heavy fines. Bunkers and other positions are dangerous and should not be entered. Live ammunitions, shells, grenades and mortar bombs should not be touched under any circumstances.
