110th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DAY

Security arrangements have been considerably upgraded for all 110th commemorative events across the battlefield on Wednesday 1st July 2026.

ACCESS AND PARKING

The lane to the Crater will be closed from approximately 06.00am to all but essential organisers, French officials and emergency vehicles and those with ‘UK Blue Badges’ or other CMI (carte mobilité inclusion) badges.

Everyone attending Lochnagar Crater should park in the village or on the verges of the road to Bécourt (Rte de Bécourt). Coaches and large camper vans should park opposite the La Boisselle commune cemetery by the crossroads of the main Albert to Bapaume road (Rte de Bapaume) and the road to Aveluy.

Please aim to arrive in the locality earlier than usual as these arrangements will inevitably cause some delay. Arriving early will help with finding a space closer to the lane. Please make sure you can be on site by 07.15am at the very latest for the beginning of the Ceremony.

We at Lochnagar Crater will have bottled water should you need and as usual we have wheelchair-accessible Portaloos available.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

A number of items will be prohibited within the security perimeter. These include items such as glass bottles, knives or weapons etc too.

There will be simple bag-checks for prohibited items, so please leave these items behind.

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience, but these arrangements reflect the heightened security state for large events in France.

Please check other venues (Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Ulster Tower, Newfoundland Park etc.) for their specific plans for the day.