From the Sunken Lane, cross over the D163 and climb up the embankment to the south. In the clump of bushes on the horizon you will find the Hawthorn Ridge mine crater, with Hawthorn Ridge Cemetery No.1 a short distance beyond.
One of the enduring images of the Somme is the detonation of the massive mine under the German trenches on Hawthorn Ridge. The crater is still there, although it is now overgrown. The mine contained 40,000lbs of explosive (approximately 18 tonnes).
The Hawthorn Ridge mine was one of nine detonated on 1 July 1916. It was fired at 07.20, just as the first waves of British infantry moved out of the trenches to their assault positions. At the same time the artillery barrage lifted to allow the soldiers to move forward. The early firing of the mine is thought to have alerted the Germans to the imminent attack, but there is some evidence that the date and approximate time of the attack was known from the interrogation of prisoners. The tunnel to the crater was used again in the successful 13 November attack when a further 30,000lbs (over 13 tonnes) of explosive were detonated to assist the advance of the 51st Highland Division.
