Bring Wilfred Owen’s war to life for your students with an English literature school trip to the Somme!
Wilfred Owen’s poems have served to bring the harsh realities of war to the generations that have succeeded him. His work has now been given context with the creation of the Walking in Wilfred Owen’s Footsteps Trail.
The 6km trail takes visitors from the Maison Forestière where Wilfred and his men were sheltering, to the canal banks where he fell. The historic and military context will fascinate and challenge your students. This trip also offers a fantastic opportunity to join forces with your school's history department, deepening all students' understanding of the conflict and how it inspired such beautiful, thought-provoking poetry.
Suggested Itinerary (2 days, 1 night)
| Day | Morning Summary | Afternoon Summary | Evening Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Travel from UK |
Arrive in Cambrai for the Wilfred Owen trail, visiting Forest House, the Sambre Canal and the cemetery at Ors where Owen is buried |
Evening meal |
| 2 |
Visit Thiepval Memorial, Lochnagar Crater and Newfoundland Park |
Return travel to UK |
|
- 1 night's half-board accommodation
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
- Detailed information pack
- Experienced battlefields guide
- Free staff place ratio 1:8
- Itinerary planning service
- Return Channel crossings
- Return executive coach travel
- Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
- VAT at current rates to tour operators
Curriculum Links
GCSE
- Power and conflict in poetry
- Identifying literary themes
- Understanding historical contexts
- Comparing and contrasting texts
- Wilfred Owen
- John McCrae
- Lord Tennyson
- Ted Hughes
Key Stage 3
- Understanding our literary heritage
- Understanding historical contexts
- Exploring literary themes
- Wilfred Owen
- John McCrae
- Lord Tennyson
- Ted Hughes
