The Western Front Way

1915 – 2nd Lieutenant Alexander Douglas Gillespie of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders writes home from the front line to tell of his vision of ‘a via sacra’ (a sacred road), a route for peace between the lines; 

“when peace comes, our government might combine with the French government to make one long avenue between the lines from the Vosges to the sea….I would make a fine broad road in the ‘No-Mans Land’ between the lines, with paths for pilgrims on foot and plant trees for shade and fruit trees, so that the soil should not altogether be waste. Then I would like to send every man, woman and child in Western Europe on a pilgrimage along that Via Sacra so that they might think and learn what war means from the silent witnesses on either side.”

1915 – Gillespie killed in action on the 25th September 1915, days after writing the above letter home. 

On Saturday I depart Carlisle with two biking buddies for a week travelling along just the British sector of the WFW, which is from Nieuwpoort to Arras. We will spend seven days visiting many of the significant sites, after which they will return to home and I will head west.

Someday in the future I may do the whole length, but I’m not sure yet whether it will be by foot, bicycle or motorcycle.

Due to the complexities of restricting the blog to trusted followers, and to protect the privacy of let’s say ‘Bill and Ben’, this first part of the trip will be on Polarsteps. I will resume the blog as normal once they are back home.

Many of you already follow me on Polarsteps, you do not need an account to do this, but if not you will need the ‘secret link’. If you request this from me then it’s for you only and obviously should not to be shared elsewhere.

I want to know who knows what we’re up to! 😆