A piece of landscape witness of the Kleine Ypres salient
A small yet special site that appeals to the imagination.
Walk through the trenches and experience what it must have been like for many a frontline soldier during the Great War. You cannot enter the two dug-out, only have a look. Above ground, the system of corridors has been made visible by the construction of footpaths and fine crushed stone.
Site is equipped with various information boards.
Downside: due to the odor nuisance from the opposite waste processing company, you cannot stay long at this location.
Tip: we visited this site during the walk of the Little Ypres Salient, “Instappunt Noord”.
The starting point is located at Kleine Poezelstraat "Hoeve Zwaanhof" in Boezinge. The North entry point has a small unmanned visitor center where you can see the full war story from the area. A short film takes you to the Battle of Pilkem Ridge – 1917. “Over the top…”
A short walk of 2.8 km takes you past 2 small cemeteries (Colone Cemetery – Welsh Cemetery = Caesars Nose). Then through No Man's Land to the German 1st lines. These front lines can be recognized by the memorial trees. The Blue beam baskets refer to the 1st British lines, the Red beam baskets to the German 1st lines. The loop walk takes you between the company grounds, along the writer's path (reference to war poetry), to the Yorkshire Trenches site. Through this walk you will follow in the footsteps of the front soldiers and you can experience what it must have been like to conquer a small, meaningless ridge. The difference in height is only 16 meters. Replay the Battle of the Pilkem Ridge? Then provide yourself with sturdy walking shoes. You walk through no man's land.
Highly recommended to do this walk. Parking is easy at the visitor center. Handy that there are also toilets in the visitor center.
Admission is free, but please respect this camera-monitored center.