Wellington QuarryDive 20 meters underground

The Wellington Quarry, Battle of Arras Memorial

Descend into the underground of Arras, at the Wellington Quarry in Hauts-de-France, to discover the story of an attack as unprecedented as surprising …

Getting there

A little history...

In October 1914, the Front stabilized in Artois by forming a salient around Arras in the German lines. The high buildings of the city were targeted by German artillery. The town hall was ravaged by flames and the belfry, symbol of the city’s rich heritage, collapsed on October 21, 1914. The Arrageois then discovered the soldiers who came from distant dominions of the British Crown.

Carriere Wellington © Carriere Wellington Apat

Breaking the German lines

Through joint action

At the inter-allied conference on November 16, 1916, in Chantilly, the French and British decided on a joint action to break the German lines. General Robert Nivelle, at the head of the French forces, was convinced that he could achieve this by launching an attack on the Chemin des Dames in the Aisne in the spring of 1917.

He obtained from Field Marshal Douglas Haig that the British troops launch a diversionary offensive further north. Because of its location on the Front, Arras was chosen as the starting point for this offensive.

Carriere Wellington Interior © Cituation Et Ensemble

And the British soldiersOut of the ground

With the aim of concentrating as many men as possible as close as possible to the German lines without arousing the enemy’s suspicion, the British army had New Zealand tunnelers build the city’s old chalk quarries, the “Boves.” Two vast underground networks were thus organized.

Under the Saint-Sauveur district, the Scots and the English gave the quarries the names of Glasgow, Manchester or Liverpool. Under the Ronville district, the New Zealanders, for their part, prefer Wellington, Auckland or even Nelson. Today open to the public, the Wellington Quarry invites you to discover the preparations for the Battle of Arras and the life of the soldiers waiting to go into battle.

Visit the Wellington Quarry