Carrière Wellington

Beneath the streets of Arras, France, a network of medieval chalk quarries became a secret military base during the First World War. In 1916, New Zealand tunnellers connected the old galleries to create underground barracks where up to 24,000 Allied soldiers could gather before the Battle of Arras on 9 April 1917. Today, Carrière Wellington is a museum and memorial dedicated to this remarkable chapter of the war. Visitors descend around 20 metres underground to explore the tunnels, where traces of soldiers’ lives remain in the chalk walls, including inscriptions and graffiti. Guided tours, historical projections and a film bring the preparations for the 1917 offensive into focus.