The Thiepval Visitor Centre

Autumn 2000

Plans are going ahead to build a Visitor Centre at Thiepval. At present there is nothing at Thiepval to tell visitors, especially the increasing numbers of school children, what happened at this place in 1916. Visitors see Lutyens’s magnificent memorial inscribed with the 72,000 names of British Army soldiers who are ‘missing’, who disappeared during the battle of the Somme. But there is no context, nothing about why they were there. We hope the Centre will correct this so that visitors in future generations may leave with a greater understanding of the events of 84 years ago and will remember the sacrifice that was made.

Sir Frank Sanderson initiated the project which now has the full support of the Department of the Somme, who have provided the land for the Centre, which will be located out of sight of the existing memorial. The Department have also agreed to match the £300,000 that it is proposed to be raised in the UK and to apply for a further £300,000 EU regional funds. A competition will be held to select an architect, and amongst the members of the jury in France will be Sir Frank Sanderson, Michael Barker who will represent the Lutyens Trust, and Paul Lutyens, an architect and great nephew of Sir Edwin Lutyens. It is proposed that the Centre will have a lecture theatre, a large area for visitor information on the battles of the Somme, the Thiepval Memorial and its architect, as well as a computer room which will house the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s gift of a copy of their data base which will enable visitors to research the Fallen.

The Visitor Centre is being generously funded by the people of France but the UK does need to reach its target of £300,000. The Lutyens Trust will be making a donation and if any individual member would also like to make a contribution, this would be greatly appreciated.

Update: Spring 2001

As described in our Autumn 2000 Newsletter, a building of 500 sq.metres with 6000 sq.metres landscaped car park and costing €915,000 will provide information on the Battle of the Somme, on the Memorial and on the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens. Applications from architects (in French) to Conseil General de la Somme Direction du Patrimoine Departmental, 88 rue Gaulthier de Rumilly BP 2615, 80026 Amiens.