Attractions and Places To See around Saint-Léger-Lès-Authie - Top 20

The monument to the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders is a Celtic cross symbolically erected on the embankment of a sunken road, at the spot where the men of this regiment rushed to capture the village of Beaumont-Hamel on November 13, 1916, at the end of the Battle of the Somme. First, on July 1, when it was located in no man's land, exactly equidistant from the British and German trenches, and served as a refuge for so many soldiers wounded during the fighting; then, five days before the end of that same battle, when the village of Beaumont-Hamel was finally captured on November 13, by the men of the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who had rushed from that position. The 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was a Scottish regiment that fought on several fronts. A reading of the inscriptions engraved on the different sides of the base of this monument tells us this. Thus, this cross is dedicated to the glory of the battalion's glorious dead and to the memory of those who will never return. Its combat losses, throughout the war, amounted to 51 officers and 831 men and non-commissioned officers, including 105 wounded officers and 2,527 men and non-commissioned officers. Finally, a Celtic inscription reveals "it is good to have friends on the day of battle." Mobilized from August 4, 1914, to November 12, 1919, a period of five years and 100 days, the regiment fought from May 1, 1915, to November 11, 1918, in Belgium and France. Until 1918, the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders belonged to the 51st Division; In 1915, it fought at Richebourg, Festubert and on Thiepval Ridge, which was to leave a sad memory for the British on 1 July 1916 (this is where the memorial to the missing now stands); in 1916, it fought at the Labyrinth, Vimy Ridge, Fourcaux Wood (High Wood), Beaumont-Hamel (there, therefore) and Courcelette; in 1917, it was Roclincourt, Arras, Roeux, Ypres and Cambrai. In 1918, the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders fought as part of the 61st Division at Saint-Quentin, Holnon Wood, Villéveque, Nesle, Villers-Bretonneux and on the Lys; but also within the 15th division which distinguished itself at Soissons, at Buzancy and in the final advance which would lead to the armistice

The largest Newfoundland memorial in Europe. 30 hectare site with preserved trenches

The documentation at this location allows a precise picture of the events: the traces of the trenches, the craters and the course of the battle up to the German position.

This park honors the brave soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who fought and died in the Battle of the Somme during the First World War. You can explore the preserved trenches, cemeteries and memorials that tell the story of their sacrifice and courage. You can also admire the caribou statue, emblem of the regiment, which stands on a mound overlooking the battlefield. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and entry is free. You can also take a guided tour or watch a film at the visitor center to learn more about the history of the site.

Hawthorn Ridge Crater is a mine crater that was exploded during the First World War. This crater, located at the entrance to Beaumont-Hamel in Picardy, France, bears witness to the tragic events that unfolded on July 1, 1916, when British soldiers attacked German fortifications on the ridge. The mine exploded eight minutes too early, allowing the Germans to regain the upper hand and inflict heavy losses on the attackers. You can access the crater via a muddy path between two pastures, and admire the vegetation that has reclaimed the site. You can also learn about the history of the battle and the second explosion which took place on November 13, 1916. The crater is part of a wider network of memorials and cemeteries which commemorate the soldiers who fell on the Somme.

The Newfoundland Memorial Park in France. This memorial park is dedicated to the Newfoundland soldiers who fought and died in the First World War, particularly during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. You can walk along the preserved trenches, see the bronze caribou statue which symbolizes the Newfoundland Regiment, and learn more about the war and its impact on the people of Newfoundland. The park also offers free guided tours in French and English by student guides. You will be moved by the stories of courage and sacrifice that this park commemorates.

Fairly well-preserved and emblematic monument of the region

Pretty village which deserves that one lingers there in particular for its belfry.