Below, you’ll find an example of one of our most popular itinerary choices, but we can tailor-make yours from scratch to meet your exact requirements...

WWI Battlefields Region - 3 days from £154pp*

Travelling in July 2013. Price includes executive coach transport from & to school & throughout your stay, 2 nights' full board accommodation, extensive group travel insurance, generous free place ratio of 1 in 8.

And then add our most popular itinerary package below for £15*pp

Our most popular visits in the WWI Battlefields region for Religious Studies school trips

Here are some of our most popular visits in the WWI Battlefields region for Religious Studies groups. We can tailor-make an itinerary to your exact needs. Call 0845 688 8988 to create your itinerary from scratch today.

Key Visits

Ypres Walking Tour

This tour of the city includes: The Cloth Hall, St. George’s Anglican Church, The Menin Gate - Britain’s major memorial to its missing, and The Lille Gate Cemetery, a beautiful example of the work of The Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Your group will then return to Ypres for an evening meal and attend the daily Last Post Ceremony at The Menin Gate to witness a moving act of remembrance by the people of the city.

Wytschaete and Messines

These two neighbouring villages were the scene of an attack in June 1917 by the 16th Irish Division (almost entirely Catholic) and the 36th (Ulster) Division. In Wytschaete, students will view the work of Father William Doyle, famous throughout Ireland for his forthright accounts of his work as a front line priest. In Messines students will visit the Island of Ireland Peace Park and Tower, built in the late 1990s, as part of the reconciliation process in Ireland set in motion by The Good Friday Agreement. Your group will also visit the village church to see the crypt where Hitler sheltered as a young corporal and to consider the effect that the war and Germany’s ultimate defeat had upon him.

Prowse Point CWGC Cemetery

Located south of Ypres, the site has strong connections with the Christmas truce of 1914.

Vancouver Corner

The memorial to Canadian troops who withstood the first use of poison gas here in 1915.

Langemark German Cemetery

Learn how Germany chose to remember its war dead and how their thoughts of war were shaped by the slaughter of the German student battalions by British regular troops in 1914, known as the Massacre of the Innocents, an important challenge to pre-war ideas of the glories of warfare. In the 1930s, the memory of this battle was incorporated into Hitler’s perverse Cult of the Dead.

Talbot House, Poperinge

Established by the Anglican Padre Tubby Clayton, groups can visit the chapel, view the work of the house during the war and its connection to the Toc H movement which flourished between the wars and whose emblem was an early Christian lamp.

Poperinge Death Cells

Since the war, the British Army’s policy of shooting deserters has been a hugely controversial issue and one with which Poperinge is strongly connected. Students will visit the death cells where condemned men were kept the night before execution, the place where the executions took place and the cemetery in which several of the victims are buried. Nearby, the College Stanislas was the HQ of The Friends Ambulance – about 1000 Quakers served in this unit on the Western Front and here students will look at the dilemmas, both moral and practical, faced by conscientious objectors during WWI.

More visits and activities include:

• Notre Dame de Lorette French Cemetery
• Vimy Ridge
• St. Martin’s Cathedral
• Tyne Cot British Cemetery
• Indian Memorial on ramparts

Below, you'll find some of our most popular accommodation options for school groups.

This is just a sample of our full range, so for full details of all properties available, please call 0845 688 8988 to speak to one of our Educational Travel Advisors today.

Chateau d'Ebblinghem

Specifically renovated to provide a superb standard of accommodation, NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem offers unrivalled facilities for school and youth groups.

Chateau d'Ebblinghem

There are 3 separate buildings at NST’s château, each designed to accommodate one group. You will have sole occupancy of your building including your own dining room, meeting room and games room. NST's chateau is a great base for all subject groups: Primary schools, French Language, History, Religious Studies, Food Technology, Geography and Music.

Address St Omer, Opal Coast View map of location	Local Rating
	Capacity 3 blocks each accommodating 58 guests.

Location Information

NST’s château is located in St Omer on the Opal Coast, just 45 minutes from Calais and Ypres, 55 minutes from the Eurotunnel terminal, 60 minutes from Boulogne and 90 minutes from Le Touquet.

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Download PDF datasheet

Bedrooms

All bedrooms in all 3 buildings are bright, modern and clean, and feature a private shower, toilet and washbasin.

Meals

Meals at NST’s château provide a nutritious balanced diet which is carefully planned to restore the energy expended during the day’s activities. Breakfast and evening meals are provided on-site and packed lunches are supplied daily.

We can be flexible regarding meal times to suit your itinerary, and most special dietary requirements are easily
managed.

Personal Service

During your stay at NST’s château, you will be allocated your own personal group co-ordinator – known as a ‘groupie’ – to provide full-time assistance throughout your tour.  Your groupie will:

• Be based at the château
• Assist you on arrival to ensure a smooth check-in
• Discuss all your itinerary arrangements with you, including on-site and off-site activities
• Travel with you to all your visits to assist with directions and organisation
• Organise and be present at all your on-site activities
• Be available to assist with any questions or issues

Your Group’s Safety & Security

The secluded location of NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem, and the fact that each group has its own accommodation block, will no doubt be a major reassurance to teachers and parents.

Recreational Facilities

Your group will have its own dedicated room for recreational activities, and access to the communal games room.
Facilities include:

• Four hectares of private grounds
• Two football pitches (one floodlit)
• Volleyball area and outdoor activities (during summer months)
• A separate dedicated building housing a games room, teachers’ bar and the château shop

Organised Evening Activities

Our staff will arrange a programme of activities for your group such as talent shows, games shows, quizzes, team challenges, initiative exercises, discos, etc. During summer months, outdoor activities will also be added to your evening programme.

If you would like to add in some study time too, a dedicated room – complete with TV, video and white board – will be available.

 

 

 

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Hotel Oude Abdij

An attractive, traditional hotel building retaining many of its original features. The hotel is set in its own grounds in a tranquil location about 300 metres from the centre of Lo and next to the Old Abbey.

Hotel Oude Abdij

A comfortable, atmospheric hotel offering an ideal location for excursions to the Battlefields. The owner, who lives on-site, is extremely hospitable and experienced in accommodating groups of young people. She also speaks excellent English. Feedback from groups is consistently very positive and many return year after year.

Address Noordstraat 3 B-8647 LO-RENINGE Belgium View map of location	Local Rating 3 star hotel
	Capacity 187 guests over 3 to 4 floors, either in the main building or in the adjacent annexe.

Location Information

The hotel is situated close to the centre of the small picturesque town of Lo, which is approximately one-hour’s drive from Calais and 25 minutes’ drive from Ypres.

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Download PDF datasheet

Accommodation Facilities

• Reception
• Two spacious dining areas
• Two separate bar areas
• Games area including table tennis, pool table and table football
• Projector & large screen suitable for showing DVDs
• Large garden/patio
• TV/video
• Karaoke facility
• Lift
• Private parking
• Disabled facilities: This property has no specific facilities or adapted rooms for disabled clients.

 Student Rooms

• 2-6 bedded rooms plus1 large 8 bedded room
• En-suite facilities
• TV
• Telephone
• Hairdryer

 Staff Rooms

• Twins/singles
• En-suite facilities
• TV
• Telephone
• Hairdryer

 Safety Guidance

The hotel conforms to all local standards, which does not require lifts to have internal doors or windows to have restricted opening. Group leaders are advised to consider this in their risk assessments/group management plan and ensure appropriate control measures are put in place.

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NST Guide Lecturers

An increasing number of schools book a Guided Study Tour each year due to the recommendation of NST’s customers. Why not add an NST Guide Lecturer to your tour package. Your guide will:

• Be selected from a specialist team to meet your exact visit requirements
• Be a highly experienced and knowledgeable educationalist
• Have a proven track record of delivering excellent results
• Have an understanding of the needs of students and information delivery
• Understand the pressures and requirements of Group Leaders

A Strong Teaching Background

All of our guides are ex-teachers with specific Religious Studies expertise. Their educational background and detailed knowledge of the current curriculum helps them to meet your specific needs. As former teachers they also understand the demands and requirements of organising educational visits.

Helping You to Prepare Your Ideal Itinerary

Our guides will contact you before your visit to discuss your learning objectives. They will then advise on the appropriate visits to build an itinerary that matches your specified objectives and enables your group to get the most out of every day.

More Time for One-to-One Teaching

With an NST Guide Lecturer leading the group you gain the opportunity to provide individual tuition and enjoy the visits with your students.

First Evening Talk

Your Guide Lecturer will provide an informal discussion on your first evening, setting the scene for the next few days. Helping students focus on the days to come and covering many general questions up front, this talk will allow more time for specific questions at each site.

Excellent Local Knowledge

Our guides can offer advice on practicalities such as public transport, food stops and evening leisure activities and are able to adapt tours due to changing weather conditions or to minimize queuing.