Hill 70 Memorial — Local services in Lens

Giving the Hill 70 Memorial just 3 stars is probably unfair because it's clearly still a work in progress.

I accessed the monument from the side of the Loos British Cemetery which I'd visited first. You can clearly see the monument from the cemetery and I duly followed a footpath on the right hand side of the cemetery entrance. After a meandering 500 metres or so I came to an earthern embankment which is obviously awaiting landscaping. From there I passed under the footbridge into the large amphitheatre just beneath the monument itself on the right. I gather that this is intended for groups. On the gorgeous hot April day I was there I was the only person present and the amphitheatre comes across as just a big empty space. It has one single information panel about Sir Arthur Currie, nothing about Hill 70 itself. In my opinion there should be several more.

From there I walked up to the monument itself passing through the new 'Trench' walkway and over the footbridge. I liked the maple leaves set into the walkway. I didn't like the trench itself though. As it currently stands it's an ugly, bare, high-sided concrete pathway. Maybe it’s not finished, but it does already resemble the artists impression I've seen on the web.

Then on to the memorial. It's a plain, but impressive, stone obelisque. Very tall, eye catching and can be seen from a fair distance away. I liked it.

What I seem to have missed, is everything else on the other side of the monument from the cemetery. From looking on the web this would appear to include, the main entrance, a visitor's centre and several pathways containing information panels for the Canadian soldiers who won the VC during the battle for Hill 70. How much of this is complete and open to the public, I do not know, but some of it was fenced off.

Once complete, the memorial will easily merit four stars or more. At this moment, however,, it doesn't. It's design appears to be based on visitors arriving through the front door only, despite the back door leading to Loos British Cemetery being wide open. Hopefully, this will be remedied...

I have visited Loos, and this coal waste spoil in particular, a number of times over the years. My great grandad was badly wounded here. In 1915 this was the site of his battalions desperate hand to hand fight over "the pit bing" as these things are called in Scotland. My great uncle still lies missing somewhere nearby.

I must admit to being a bit taken aback when I visited last in 2018 and discovered this big muckle obelisk had cropped up.

Whilst I am delighted that the empty space in the middle of the Loos Crassier is finally being used, and especially to commemorate the very brave Canadian soldiers who captured Hill 70 for a final time in 1917......I would very much hope the finished memorial site makes mention of the many thousands of the 15th division, who died taking Loos, and then going on to capture Hill 70 the first time around. Most of them still lie undiscovered in the ground all...

The day I was there (June 2018) the car park was shut and the toilet closed. The site is still a work in progress. It is quite pretty with a lot of wild flowers following the path but ultimately the memorial area is underwhelming. There are a couple of explanatory panels but no map to help the visitor orientate themselves or discover the other Hill 70 memorials. Whilst great mention is made of Filip Konaval VC (the path is named after him) the visitor is not made aware of a plaque in his honour a few...