Butte de Warlencourt First World War burial mound to be “renewed and preserved” for Centenary

The Western Front Association has announced that it will “extensively improve” the burial mound at the Butte de Warlencourt in France, which was the scene of heavy British losses during the 1916 Battle of the Somme.

The prehistoric burial mound marks the final point of the advance of the British armies on the Somme in November 1916 and was purchased by the Western Front Association in 1990.

Beginning in Autumn 2013, the Association will clear the car parking area at the base of the mound, before moving on to restore the pathway to the summit. New walkways and handrails will be erected and the viewing areas at the summit will be cleared.

New memorial benches will made installed in “one of the last untouched pieces of the 1916 Somme battlefield that the public can visit”.

Efforts to restore the site ahead of the Centenary of the First World will see the Western Front Association work with tradesmen and volunteers so that the public can “enjoy an unrivalled view of the Somme battlefield”.

Opportunities for sponsorship of the restoration are available.

Source: Western Front Association press release

Date of press release: 30/09/2013

Images courtesy of the Western Front Association

Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News