Waterloo campaign trail
A few weeks ago we decided to drive the 5 1/2 hours up to Waterloo for a five day, four night holiday. In the last 10 years we have attempted three times to visit but all were thwarted in some way. The Waterloo campaign for me is not high on my list of Napoleonic battles but certainly is one that a lot of ink has been spilt upon.
We arrived at our accommodation in Waterloo mid afternoon, settled in, then ventured out for a dinner and.local beer. The steak restaurant was very good, and I had my first Waterloo beer which is brewed at the famous English hospital site, Mont Saint Jean Farm just up the road.
The first day we ventured out to visit the Waterloo battlefield, all from the Allied British perspective, the museum, the lion mound and cyclorama, and the various markers and of course La Haye Saint, and Hougmont farm, I was shocked by the compactness of the battlefield, the height difference that was taken to make the lion mound, and especially the heavy cavalry charge by Ney, and the counter charge by the English cavalry.
Looking towards Hougomont
A few weeks ago we decided to drive the 5 1/2 hours up to Waterloo for a five day, four night holiday. In the last 10 years we have attempted three times to visit but all were thwarted in some way. The Waterloo campaign for me is not high on my list of Napoleonic battles but certainly is one that a lot of ink has been spilt upon.
We arrived at our accommodation in Waterloo mid afternoon, settled in, then ventured out for a dinner and.local beer. The steak restaurant was very good, and I had my first Waterloo beer which is brewed at the famous English hospital site, Mont Saint Jean Farm just up the road.
The first day we ventured out to visit the Waterloo battlefield, all from the Allied British perspective, the museum, the lion mound and cyclorama, and the various markers and of course La Haye Saint, and Hougmont farm, I was shocked by the compactness of the battlefield, the height difference that was taken to make the lion mound, and especially the heavy cavalry charge by Ney, and the counter charge by the English cavalry.
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| Looking towards Nets reserve cavalry position |
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| Looking towards La Belle Alliance and 1st French corps |
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| Looking towards La Haye Sainte and sandpit |
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| The dead ground, the embankment is close to actual height of hill before the mounds soil removal at least two meters |
Part two coming
Cheers
Matt
