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0115 9404 303School English trip to Ypres
A tour to Ypres with your English group is a great opportunity to bring them closer to the literature and where it was written.
John McCrae's In Flanders Fields remains to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres Salient in the spring of 1915. Essex Farm, where he wrote the poem, was originally the site of an Advanced Dressing Station and the surgeons' dug-outs can still be visited. You can also visit Vancouver Corner, the first recorded use of poison gas on the Western Front, bringing to mind Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”. Not forgetting the evocative Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate.
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£79 pp
2 days/1 night
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Includes:
- Return executive coach travel (TV/Video/WC/Seatbelts)
- 1 night half board accommodation
- Return Ferry crossings
- Free staff place ratio 1:8
- Detailed information pack
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
- Itinerary planning service
- Motorway tolls and taxes
- VAT
Suggested Activities
Sample Itinerary
Example AccommodationEssex Farm
Canadian doctor John MacRae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" at this dressing station, the remains of which can still be visited. At the nearby Essex Farm Cemetery, Rifleman Strudwick, at fifteen years of age the youngest British Soldier to be killed on the Western Front, is buried.
In Flanders Fields
Housed in the former Cloth Hall in the historic heart of Ypres. In Flanders Fields is a perfect starting point for an exploration of the Ypres salient. This interactive museum allies artefacts with documentary film, audio-visual presentations and contemporary artwork to vividly portray the horror and brutality of the events of 1914-1918. An essential stop for even the shortest tour.
Tyne Cot Cemetery
within a kilometre of the farthest point in Belgium reached by the Allied forces, this is the largest military cemetery in the world with 11,908 graves. It takes its name from the German concrete bunkers, whose ruins still remain, which were thought by soldiers from the 50th Northumbrian division to look like Tyneside cottages.
Menin Gate
Situated on the Menin Road where men used to march from Ypres to the front lines, the Menin Gate is a memorial to some 55,000 British soldiers killed in the Ypres salient who have no known grave. The famous Last Post ceremony takes place here at 20.00 each evening.
Hill 62 Museum/Sanctuary Wood
Sanctuary Wood and its trench museum are today the most authentic and vivid portrayal of what is was like to live in the filth and mud of Flanders. The museum collection contains equipment removed from the battlefield in the vicinity. There is a room with many photographs on the walls and a large, rare collection of three dimensional photo images in viewing boxes.
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Depart school | In Flanders Fields Museum | Last Post Ceremony |
| Day 2 |
Guided Literature tour including Essex Farm, Vancouver Corner, Tyne Cot and Hill 62 |
Return to school | |
Best Western Flanders Lodge
The Best Western Flanders Lodge is a modern log cabin-style hotel. French cuisine is served in the Wintergarden restaurant. There is a coffee shop for refreshments or snacks and three meeting rooms, in addition to an auditorium equipped for video conferences at the Flanders Language Valley estate across the road.
The Best Western Flanders Lodge is located in the heart of the historic World War I Ypres Salient, 1 mile from the Menin Gate memorial, and one hour away from the Somme battlefields.
The Best Western Flanders Lodge is located in the heart of the historic World War I Ypres Salient, 1 mile from the Menin Gate memorial, and one hour away from the Somme battlefields.
Hotel Menin Gate
This former textile factory provides a brilliant base for groups visiting the battlefields and is located 100m away from the Market Square in Ypres town centre. Students will be accommodated in 3-10 bedded rooms, staff in twins or singles (supplement may apply). All rooms are en-suite. Breakfast is served on site, with meals taken at a nice restaurant in the town centre (a 2 minutes walk away). Facilities include a recreational room with TV, pool table, pinball machines, table football, 10 internet computers (free of charge, a staff room with minibar and digital TV as well as a large garden.
The Poppies School Hotel
The Poppies School Hotel is a popular choice amongst school groups. It benefits from a central location in Ypres only a 3 minutes walk from the Market Square. The hotel accommodates up to 73 people in 16 rooms over 2 floors. Students will be accommodated in 2-8 bedded rooms, staff in twins or singles. All rooms are en-suite and the hotel operates on a sole occupancy basis. Facilities include a lounge and recreational room with TV, pinball machine, table football, pool table, 5 internet computers (free of charge) and an extensive courtyard.
