Lochnagar Crater
Trou de mine de La Boisselle
A huge crater left by a British tunnel mine on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, about 100 meters across and 20 meters deep, one of the largest craters on the Western Front.
At 7:28 a.m. on July 1, 1916, the British detonated about 27 tons of explosives beneath the German positions, creating this crater roughly 100 meters across and 20 meters deep. The explosion was reportedly heard as far away as London. The crater is now protected after being purchased by a British private owner. A wooden boardwalk encircling the rim takes about 10 minutes to walk, with information boards and memorial crosses at the edge, and a commemoration ceremony is held on the morning of every July 1. Admission is free. Located in the village of La Boisselle near Albert, it can be combined with Thiepval and Ulster Tower for a half-day battlefield route.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Thiepval Memorial
- Ulster Tower
- Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
- Delville Wood South African Memorial
- Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux
- Historial de la Grande Guerre
- Hortillonnages of Amiens
- Saint-Leu Quarter