The Wellington Quarry and the Battle of Arras Memorial
The Wellington Quarry in Arras is a moving experience and one of the most impressive places to understand the horrors and futility of the First World War. Surprisingly, it is located in the center of the ancient city of Arras, and shows the events around the Battle of Arras in 1917.
Background to the battle of Arras
The battles of Verdun involving the French and the Somme involving the British and the Commonwealth in 1916 had been disasters. So, the Allied High Command decided to create a new offensive on the Vimy-Arras front in northern France. Arras was strategic for the Allies and from 1916 to 1918, the city was under British command, unique in the history of the First World War. Arras was a vital part of the new three-pronged attack, but at this stage of the war, Arras was a ghost town, continuously bombarded by German troops, smoking and in ruins, surrounded by the scars of the First World War.
The decision was made to tunnel under Arras in the chalk quarries that were originally excavated centuries before to provide building material. The plan was to build a large series of rooms and passages to hide 24,000 soldiers near the German front lines in preparation for the new attack. The Wellington Quarry Museum tells the story of the quarry, the lives of the townspeople and troops, and the period leading up to the Battle of Arras on April 9, 1917.
The visit to the quarry is deep underground
The 75-minute visit begins with an elevator ride to the quarries. A panorama of Arras as it burns puts allied plans in perspective. Then, following an English guide that gives you more information and armed with an audio guide that turns on automatically as you approach the various breaks, they guide you through the long twisting passages and large caverns. Old movies and forgotten voices are revealed in the tunnel breaks on small screens that disappear into the dark. It feels like the soldiers are there with you.
“Each man had his own war,” says a soldier when he begins to understand his daily life, his fears and his nightmares.
Creating the Tunnels
The first task was to unearth the huge spaces to create primitive underground barracks. 500 New Zealand tunnels, mostly Maori miners, aided by Yorkshire miners (called Bantams because of their height), dug 80 meters a day to build two interlocking mazes. The tunnels gave the different sectors the names of their cities of origin. For New Zealanders it was Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim; for the British, London, Liverpool and Manchester. The work took less than six months and finally the 25 kms (15.5 miles) accommodated 24,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers.
What you see and hear
You walk past piles of rusty cans, graffiti of names, drawings of loved ones at home and prayers, and hear the voices. “Bonjour Tommy” says a Frenchman against images of civilians and soldiers chatting in the streets. “They don’t hate Germans. They do not insult the prisoners and are attentive to the wounded ”, was the incredulous comment of a French journalist.
You hear letters written at home and poems by great war poets like Wilfred Owen, who lost his life just before the Armistice was signed, and Siegfried Sassoon, who wrote The General .
“Good Morning. Good morning, “said the general
when we met him last week on the way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are almost all dead,
and we are cursing your staff for incompetent pigs.
A chapel, power station, light rail, communications room, hospital, and well were created in the pale, flickering electric light. The walk through 20 points of interest shows you in a very powerful way the lives of the soldiers underground, their gloomy or frivolous humor and their camaraderie.
The battle of Arras
Then you come to the sloping corridors that lead to the light, and for many of the young soldiers (“too young” as one Frenchman put it), until their death. For a few days before, the artillery had been firing on the German lines. It was 5 in the morning, snowing and deadly cold on April 9, Easter Monday, when the order was given to leave the quarries.
The battle movie
The history
Madrid
The Spanish capital is well connected to Santander by train, but if you want to visit Madrid, I would recommend flying directly and missing Santander completely.
See also: How to plan the perfect trip to Madrid
How to get to Madrid from Santander
There are direct trains every two hours from Santander to Madrid. The trip lasts 4h30m. The train arrives at the Chamartin station in the north of the city.
There are direct buses from Santander to Madrid. The trip lasts approximately 6 hours. The bus arrives at the Avenida de América bus station in Madrid.
Read about the train and bus stations from Madrid .
It takes approximately 5 hours to drive the 450 km from Santander to Madrid. Take the A67 and then the A231 to Burgos and then the A1 to Madrid.
Pamplona
If you visit the Pamplona bull running in July, Santander airport is an excellent point of arrival.
How to get to Pamplona
The bus from Santander to Pamplona takes 2h30 and costs about 15 euros.
No train
The 250km journey can be covered in just over an hour, mainly on the A8 and E5 roads.
Burgos
Burgos is relatively close to Santander and is famous for its cathedral. Makes a good stop on the way to Madrid. However, it would not be my main destination for a visit from Santander.
How to get to Burgos
Buses from Santander to Burgos cost around 13 euros and take between two and a half hours and three hours.
It takes approximately two hours to drive the 180 km, on the A-67 and N-627 roads.
No trains
Lion
I was disappointed how long it takes to get to León from Santander, considering that they are in the north of Spain and don’t feel that far apart. Leon is a great place to eat free tapas like it’s supposed to be. Drive if you can.
How to get to León?
It takes approximately two and a half hours to drive the 270 km, taking the A-67 and A-231 roads.
Buses from Santander to León take between five and six hours and cost between 20 and 35 euros.
Santiago
It’s a long way to Santiago from Santander, so stop your trip in Oviedo.
See also: Guide to Santiago
How to get to Santiago
Buses from Santander to Santiago take between seven and ten hours and cost around 50 euros. However, it only takes five hours to drive.
No trains
Barcelona
Barcelona is very far from Santander. Are you sure that taking the trip is the best use of your time?
See also: How to plan the perfect trip to Barcelona
How to get to Barcelona
Fly if you can. Both Ryanair and Vueling have flights.
The bus from Barcelona to Santander takes about ten hours and costs about 50 euros.
There are no direct trains from Barcelona to Santander. You would have to change in Madrid .
An alternative would be to take the FEVE narrow gauge railway from Santander to Bilbao and then the train to Bilbao. The bus would be even faster.
It would take approximately six and a half hours to drive the 700 km from Barcelona to Santander, traveling mainly on the E90, E804 and A8. Please note that some of these roads are toll roads. Find out about car rental in Spain .
