Today’s ride was 73.15 km with 574 metres of climbing and many of us were feeling quite tired before a single peddle stroke. Maybe it’s after two weeks of being on the road or maybe it’s a mix of that and the emotional toll of Yesterdays ride through the Somme battlefields.

We continued riding through towns that have become synonymous with the carnage of the First World War… Grevillers, Arras, Feuchy and Hamelincourt as we made our way to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission visitor centre in Beaurains followed by Vimy Ridge and Notre Dame de Lorette cemetery.

On the way we were cheered by a small group of schoolchildren and their teacher it was awesome. And a similar thing happened later in the day!!!

Commonwealth War Graves commission

The CWGC Visitor Centre is a unique new visitor attraction that shines a light on the work of the remarkable organisation at the heart of remembrance of the war dead.
Located in Beaurains, France, in the heart of the former Western Front, “our Visitor Centre spotlights our highly skilled craftsmen, carpenters, stonemasons, mechanics, and blacksmiths. Their tireless efforts ensure our sites globally are kept to the high standards and beautiful aesthetics associated with CWGC sites. This is your chance to see the inner workings of one of the world’s foremost commemoration organisations.”

This was a very interesting visit as we had seen their vans and workers in most of the cemeteries we visited.

Vimy Ridge

Vimy Ridge is sacred ground to Canada. Here, at the height of the ridge on Hill 145, stands the Canadian National Vimy Memorial with its great twin pylons rising up into the sky. Around the memorial are twenty sculptured figures representing such ideas as peace, justice, mourning and grief. Like the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, Vimy carries the names of Canada’s ‘missing’ soldiers, those with ‘no known grave’ who died in France between 1914 and 1918.

The Canadian memorial is situated in a 100-hectare park given by the people of France to Canada as a tribute to the Canadian soldiers who fought and died on the Western Front beside their French allies. Significantly, the park is part of the battlefield of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought between 9 and 12 April 1917. During those days, the Canadians seized the ridge from the Germans and drove the enemy back down from the heights. It was a significant victory, for British and French forces had failed to drive back the Germans in this area despite strong offensives in 1915.

Notre Dame Lorette Cemetery

The Memorial

Today’s writing turned out to be fantastic. There were a few punchy climbs, particularly up to Notre Dame Laurette but the views were amazing. We stayed at the Hotel Louvre Lens and shared a lovely meal together.