From Mont St. Jean we drove next to Hougoumont. Newly open to the public, the ticket bought at the visitor centre also covers admission to this site. Above - the track leading from Hougoumont to Mont St Jean. The tall crops and sloping ground as as per 1815.
A distant view of the Lion Mound.
Back in the courtyard at Hougoumont, the chapel and a bit of wall are all that remains of the main chateau building.
The other buildings survive and are in good shape after a recent restoration.
The area contains many memorials - including this one to the French troops who fell during the repeated assaults on the farm buildings.
The view north.
The recent statue commemorating the defence of Hougoumont.
I have fond memories of the Lion Mount, when a friend and I did the backpack and youth hostel version of a grand tour back in the 70s we crept through the hedge after dark and rolled out our sleeping bags at the foot of the mound. Imagine our surprise next morning when several tourist establishments opened their doors but had neither coffee nor food to offer, only lemonade at champagne prices. We had to hitchhike into Brussels to find a chiptruck before we got breakfast. Well worth it for the experience of sleeping on the field of Waterloo.
ReplyDeleteRoss Mac
ReplyDeleteThere are two eateries at the site now. A rather posh and expensive restaurant - and the one we went to!