Demo Tour
Built in 1511, 2 years before the battle of Flodden, Twizel Bridge is a perfectly preserved medieval bridge used by the Scotts and the English. At the time, the bridge provided the only dry crossing of the river Till in which it must be assumed that James IV knew. With a span of ninety feet, it remained the longest stone arch bridge in the country until the 18th century.
A the turn of the last century the much of South Cliff was still open countryside with a selection of fine houses and villas enjoying the rural tranquility. One visitor to his summer residence was Alfred Shuttleworth (1843 to 1925} businessman and philanthropist who presented the Wren style stone clocktower to the town in commemoration of George V's coronation, 22 June 1911.
On 18th September 1944 Major Genral Roy Urquhart established his HQ in this hotel on an interim basis until it could move forward into Arnhem. Before the battle began it had been Field Marshal Walter Model's mess. As the battle progressed the opportunity to move Urquhart's HQ did not present itself and the Hartenstein became the centre of the Divisional defensive perimeter.
A trip to Housesteads will give visitors an insight into how life was for the 800 Roman soldiers based here as they wander the remains of the barrack blocks and the commandant’s house. The fort boasts some of the oldest toilets ever seen and there's a fascinating museum too, complete with a model of how the fort looked in Roman times.
The Village of Hebuterne was just behind the British front line before the 1st July 1916. It became a focal point for the thousands of men moving forward on their way to the front line on the northern end of the battle area during the hours preceding the begining of the battle.