As I mentioned before there was an open air museum right beside our hotel in Ypres (well, 3 kilometres from Ypres.)

A box at the entrance asked for a donation of €1. Well worth it.

This collection of war detritus just inside the entrance can also be seen in the photograph of Hooge Crater I posted here:-

This is the extreme left hand end of the crater lake/pond:-

The blockhouse:-

The crater from a small bridge over part of it. The algae had receded quite a bit by next morning:-

More war remnants. Shell casings, barbed wire support struts etc:-

Trench remnants. Originally German. From them, in 1915, was launched the first flame-thrower attack:-

More trenches:-

The hotel we stayed in in Ypres (or, as it is now named, Ieper) lay right next to this crater formed by the explosion of British mines under German trenches in July 1915. Our bedroom had this view of the crater. The remains of a blockhouse can be seen bottom centre, crossed by the hotel’s shadow.

Back then there would have been no greenery as it would all have been blasted away. Now it is a lovely tranquil spot (if you can ignore its history) where sheep can safely graze.

This is the frontage of the hotel (Kasteelhof ‘t Hooghe.)

Our room was at the side of the hotel. A door from it opened onto the right hand side of the first floor balcony.