Writer tours monuments of the Somme

To mark the 90th anniversary of the First World War armistice, Daily Telegraph writer Anthony Peregrine toured the monuments of the Somme in northern France, offering a guide to any travellers interested in visiting the area.

Despite the many decades separating the travellers of today from the events of World War I, France's memorials to the people who died in the war are still of great interest today.

The Somme's Thiepval memorial reportedly receives more than 200,000 visitors a year, while the commemorative museum at Villers-Bretonneux has seen a sharp increase in visitation this year.

Mr Peregrine stopped at a number of locations on his tour, which British visitors can also see by taking ferry trips to northern France, including Rancourt, Guillemont, Martinpuich and Vimy Ridge.

The writer also saw the South African memorial at Delville Wood, Longueval, which is topped by representations of the mythological brothers Castor and Pollux and bears the inscription: "Their ideal is our legacy, their sacrifice our inspiration."

Mr Peregrine described the "melancholy peace" of the Somme's memorials as "profound" and said it was "difficult to leave" the places he visited.

People interested in paying their respects to those who died during World War I can take a car tour of the Somme. Ferry crossings from Dover to Calais are available with P&O Ferries and SeaFrance, while Norfolkline sails from Dover to Dunkerque.

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1 x Foot Passenger(s) Return

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03/06/2012 - 03/06/2012

£13

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11/06/2012 - 11/06/2012

£19

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Dover - Calais

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Travelling on:

16/06/2012 - 16/06/2012

£19

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