Thiepval – WW1 Commemoration

Through a woodland gently’ is a garden that we have created to commemorate the centenary of the WW1 Armistice and opened on 6th November 2018 by the British Ambassador to France. It is to be found in the woodlands at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Thiepval, France – the site of the largest monument of its kind in the commonwealth.

This peace garden is designed to inspire through the ribbon of history that connects both the past and the future. It prompts a gentle, thoughtful reflection on those who fought in the Battles of the Somme and how we can prevent this happening again. The Welsh title has been chosen to particularly honour the Welsh soldiers who lost their lives and our more recent work in Wales.

The main structure is a single seat 100′ long that sits gently upon the ground within a quiet part of the woodland at Thiepval. The seat is craftsmen made by our colleagues at Oxford Planters & Joinery from sustainable Accoya. It wraps around and engages with existing trees. The seat also includes slats made from Welsh oak and Portland stone that spell out ‘1918′ to resonate with the existing memorial. Planting includes species primroses, voted as Wales’ favourite flower, across the woodland.