Ypres: A Walk on The Bluff

Step onto the Western Front in Flanders as we explore the area near to Ypres known as The Bluff. In this episode we uncover the story of the fighting here in February-March 1916, when British and German forces struggled for control of the high ground overlooking Ypres. Using contemporary accounts and battlefield evidence, we explain why this small rise in the landscape mattered so much and how the battle unfolded.

The Bluff was created from spoil dug out during the construction of the Ypres–Comines Canal, forming an artificial ridge that dominated the surrounding trenches. In early 1916 German forces seized the position, threatening the British line south of Ypres. A determined counter-attack followed, with units of the British Army fighting bitterly through shattered woods and cratered ground to retake the heights. We look at how the battle developed, the tactics used, and the human stories behind the fighting.

Walking the ground today, we visit several evocative battlefield cemeteries that still mark the front line of 1916:

• 1st Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Cemetery – closely linked to the men who fought and fell during the struggle for the Bluff.
• Hedge Row Trench Cemetery – a small but powerful reminder of the trench lines that once crossed this area.
• Woods Cemetery – surrounded by the landscape that witnessed intense fighting in WW1.

We also explore the mine craters that still scar The Bluff and follow the line of the Ypres-Comines canal itself, where the battle-damaged locks remain as a rare survivor of wartime destruction here.

This episode combines battlefield history, on-the-ground exploration, and the stories of the soldiers who fought here, helping us understand how a small rise in the landscape became the focus of a hard-fought battle in the Ypres Salient.

Newspaper Articles About Richard Howard’s Violin:

Remarkable story of Leeds violin maker killed in First World War remembered at central library

WWI soldier’s violin played at his grave

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BATTLEFIELD MAP:

Sam Sweeney playing Richard Howard’s Violin:

Podcast Extras: