It’s only a simple bench in the beautiful rolling hills and woods of the Chilterns north of London, but it reminds us of the terrible human cost of the fighting on the Somme a hundred years ago. The bench overlooks the remarkable remains of what was once a lengthy and... read more →

Julian Cornelius Brook was an aspiring young lawyer from the north Island of New Zealand, but now lies buried in the Adanac Military Cemetery near the edge of the 1916 battlefield, between the villages of Miraumont and Corcelette, about eight miles from La Boisselle. He’s one of more than 18,000... read more →

If you read The Times, you’ll know the newspaper is carrying a report on the War every day from their coverage on that day a hundred years ago. On August 14th, 1917, a piece appeared under the headline: It’s not directly about the landscape at La Boisselle, but the correspondent... read more →

By Robert Perry Few visitors to the Somme see the cruel beauty of the battlefields in quite the same way as Robert Perry – one of the stalwarts of the Friends of Lochnagar and an esteemed and highly respected landscape artist. Rob’s a familiar sight on the battlefield, with his... read more →

They’re a much-loved symbol of remembrance, and it’s difficult to imagine the annual July 1st anniversary at Lochnagar Crater without them. But for years, the Crater was bare – until Richard Dunning acquired it and the custom of using poppies inside the Crater began to evolve. ... read more →

This dramatic image is inspired by a sequence in a film about the Battle of the Somme made in 1927. It’s recreated by the Production Editor of Lochnagar Crater Today, Michael Gilbert, and captures the tension the Tommies faced as the clock ticked down to the moment when the troops... read more →

Pause as you view the Crater from the wooden walkway. Beneath your feet, you'll find small plaques bearing names. Each name was a husband, son, brother, father or uncle, or - in rare cases - a daughter, mother, wife, aunt or sister. And each one reaches across the generations. For... read more →

Many people associate the First World War with poetry, and Lochnagar Crater Today is no exception. In this, our first edition, we publish a poem called Looking Back, written by Tait Jones, from Surbiton High School. She was 14 when she entered it in the Lochnagar Prize competition. She read... read more →

Those keen calendar-watchers amongst us will know the 2017 working weekend is fast approaching. This year it falls between Friday 26th and Monday 29th May, folk generally arriving in the late morning or midday but by no means to a strict timetable! As always, everyone is welcome at this most... read more →