Head for the village of La Boisselle which is on the D929 between the town of Albert and the village of Pozières. On arrival at La Boisselle look out for the signs to the La Grande Mine. The Crater is south south-east of the village a short way along a no through road. There is a parking place for a single car next to the Crater, however due to dugouts under this area there is a weight limit of four tonnes. Parking, courtesy of a local farmer, is available opposite the Crater at certain times of the year.

Quite often there is a refreshment and souvenir stall near the Crater, but this is privately owned and run, and has no connection with Richard Dunning or The Friends of Lochnagar Crater.

There are no entrance fees but we do ask visitors to

• Remember that the site is a war grave and act in a dignified way;
• Leave the site as they find it;
• Protect the plants and wild life;
• Take their litter home;
• Keep dogs under close control.

Please note there are NO public toilet facilities at the Crater or in La Boisselle village, but of course the local cafes have facilities for their customers.

The Crater site is unfortunately NOT wheelchair friendly. The 300 metre route around the rim of the Crater would be impossible for wheelchairs and is not suitable for people with restricted mobility. Some sections of the path have become very uneven following heavy use and adverse weather, and some of them can be very slippery when wet. Three of the most uneven sections of the path have had wooden steps installed. We hope to improve the path when sufficient funds are available. If you feel you would like to contribute towards renovating the path please see our Donate page.

Wartime relics, such as shells, bullets and grenades are often in a dangerous condition, and even after all these years can still cause death and injury. Any found during visits to the battlefields should be left alone. Most of the land is private property and must be respected as such. Strict laws apply in respect of the collection and export of battlefield detritus.

View Larger Map
To use Google Street View click on the words 'View Larger Map' then click and drag the little yellow man (top left) to the red marker, center the green zone at the point of the tail of the red marker. You can then rotate the image by click and dragging the N (for North) in the circle at the top left of the map to about South South East. If necessary move up and down the road by moving the yellow man in the inset map box (or click on the white arrows on the white line in the main image).

A plan of the Crater site, move the mouse over the text for more information.

Over recent years, there have been an increasing number of visits to Lochnagar Crater by schools, and these are set to continue in the near future. No doubt the inclusion of the study of the First World War in the syllabi of many of the secondary schools has brought about this trend.

The Friends of Lochnagar wish to encourage such visits (see the Schools page). One of the reasons for the creation of this Web Site was to make available to teachers and students basic information about what happened on this sector of the Somme Battlefield on July 1st 1916. If a visit to the Crater is to be made, it is important that teachers are able to access information which will enable them to plan in advance to make the visit meaningful and worthwhile.

A successful educational visit requires advanced preparation as the image above of teacher and pupils of Tideway School, East Sussex portrays. This Web Site is devised to assist with such activities. Experience has shown that the best led and prepared school visits have enabled students to grasp the significance of what happened on that July morning in 1916.

The Friends of Lochnagar have been encouraged by the profound mature statements left by so many students in the visitors' book at the site of the Lochnagar Crater. It is also important that students visiting the Crater are aware that young men fought, suffered and died at the Crater and in the surrounding fields and that they respect the area and its environs accordingly. Visitors are not allowed to descend into the Crater for obvious reasons of safety, to stop erosion and as a mark of respect for those who fell. The Crater should be a place of quiet contemplation and not, as is sometimes the case as a playground.

We hope that this Web site will meet the needs of students and staff and we wish all schools a successful and enjoyable visit to the Lochnagar Crater.

See photos taken by and of school parties in our Photo Album