Belgium — Battle of Waterloo site visit — a summary

I was surprised the battlefield was so small

August 2017

One thing struck me about the site of the Battle of Waterloo — it was much smaller than I expected.

When you think that Wellington had 68,000 soldiers under his command and faced 72,000 French soldiers commanded by Napoleon, the battle involved some 200,000 men, with 35,000 horses and 500 cannons. It seems inconceivable that so many people were in such a small area.

As I stood there looking at the battlefield, I found the death toll at such a place — 20,000 men killed, with 60,000 wounded — staggering. That is 1 in 10 dead and 1 in 3 injured.

On my visit, I went to the key sites:

• Wellington’s HQ — ///things.energy.instead — where Wellington spent the eve of the battle and after — it is now a museum.

Photo by Author — Musée Wellington — Anciennement Quartier Général

[embed]Belgium — Battle of Waterloo — Musée Wellington — Anciennement Quartier Général, Chaussée de… Where Wellington spent the night before the battlemedium.com

• La Ferme du Caillou — Dernier QG de Napoleon — ///lilt.truncate.suppose — which is where Napoleon stayed on the eve of battle — Saturday, 17 June 1815.

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — La Ferme du Caillou, Napoleon’s Last Headquarters, Belgium

[embed]Belgium — Battle of Waterloo — Touring the site La Ferme du Caillou (Napoleon’s Last Headquarters) and La Haiye Saintemedium.com

• Waterloo Battlefield — ///dwelled.reach.sprint — the main battlefield.

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — The Battle Field, Belgium — the last position of G Troop Royal Horse Artillery, commanded by Captain A.C. Mercer — the troop took a conspicuous part in defeating the attacks of the French cavalry

[embed]Belgium — Battle of Waterloo — The Battlefield, Belgium Walking the battlefieldmedium.com

• La Ferme d’Hougoumont — ///contexts.kept.magazine — a farm at which a vital battle phase was fought.

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — approaching Hougoumont Farm, Belgium, from Wellington’s front line

[embed]Belgium — Battle of Waterloo — La Ferme d’Hougoumont, Chemin du Goumont, 1420 Braine — l’Alleud… A key point in battlemedium.com

• Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean (Mont-Saint-Jean Farm) — ///finger.glares.pounding — the site of the “English Hospital”.

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — La Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean, Belgium — The “English Hospital”

[embed]Belgium — Battle of Waterloo — La Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean, Belgium The “English Hospital”medium.com

And explored:

• The Waterloo Battle Panorama — ///eyeful.usage.fast — which presented a graphic panorama of the battle.

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — The Waterloo Battle Panorama, Belgium

[embed]Belgium — Battle of Waterloo — The Waterloo Battle Panorama, Belgium What we did before virtual realitymedium.com

• Butte du Lion de Waterloo (The Lion’s Mound) — ///displays.puts.ever — a memorial to the soldiers who died during the Battle of Waterloo.

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — Lion’s Mound, Belgium

[embed]Belgium — Battle of Waterloo — Butte du Lion de Waterloo (The Lion’s Mound), Belgium Battle of Waterloo Memorialmedium.com

It is an extraordinary place. A place where a major battle that determined the history of Europe started at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, 18th June 1815, and concluded with Wellington’s victory at 8:10 p.m. that evening.

I was particularly struck by La Ferme d’Hougoumont.

La Ferme d’Hougoumont saw some of the battle’s most fierce and continuous fighting. The Duke of Wellington said, “The success of the battle turned upon the closing of the gates at Hougoumont.”

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — Hougoumont Farm, Belgium — the northern gate

The northern gate at La Ferme d’Hougoumont was not barricaded as it was facing the British lines, and it was through this gate that the British received reinforcements and supplies. However, it was through this gate that around forty French soldiers entered the farm and were fought off by ten English and Scottish soldiers, who then managed to close the gate. Things could have been so different if those forty French soldiers had succeeded.

Photo by Author — Battle of Waterloo — Hougoumont Farm, Belgium — the closing of the gate

It was fascinating and shocking to visit the site of the Battle of Waterloo. Seeing such a historic and pivotal place in European history was astonishing. And, if you are in the area, you should make the time to stop and explore the place.

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