"Terrain at Waterloo" Topic

Starting the final stages on my 3D Waterloo board. It is going to be much like my Gettysburg board shown at link

I am looking for information on wall locations, fence locations, field content/size/location

My source map has the woods and buildings, but I would like another source to confirm those.

Building this for a MillenniumCon game early Nov, so time is of the essence.

Have a look at this site:

link

Looking at the photos there is a general lack of field boundaries.

Couple of points, Belgium is not as enclosed as England after the mid 18thC (the introduction of the Enclosure Acts) or the US. My understanding is that the land was much more open without numerous linear obstacles.

Hope this helps

Indeed 138,

Belgium (in common with most of Europe) was much more open, with very few linear boundaries. Most of the battlefield seems to have been covered with very tall cereal crops (much taller than modern varieties – a height of 2m was not uncommon).

The low ground between Mont St. Jean and Belle Alliance seems to have been almost a morass on the day of battle. Perhaps some hints of water amongst the cereals. And don't forget the sandpit across the road from La Haye Sainte. It provided cover for 95th Rifles. I'm assuming it was from that site that Sharpe sniped the Prince of Orange.

Along the sunken road the drop to the road at the farm was 16 feet almost like the railway cut at gettysburg. Along the sunken road itself there were some hedge rows which made movement difficult. Also check out Google maps and see the terrain very useful.

I don't know where you are located, but you should really take a look at the Siborne model of Waterloo at the National Army Museum in Chelsea.

As I understand it from contemporary depictions and descriptions of the battlefield, there were quite a few more hedgerows in 1815 than today; Belgian legislation may have saved much of the battlefield from being built on but it has not prevented modern agriculture from removing many of the field boundaries including hedgerows. Any well illustrated account of the battle will give you many contemporary illustrations as a guide. Note that the Butte de Lion also removed much of the British and Allied position (especially the centre) including sunken tracks and hedges, and lowered the ground level dramatically.

David
nba-sywtemplates.blogspot.com

"I don't know where you are located, but you should really take a look at the Siborne model of Waterloo at the National Army Museum in Chelsea"

That is very very nice, a must see.

DukeW,

The following link, the Ferris map collection may be what you are looking for.

link

This was contributed by another member from another discussion group.

Cheers,
Robert
18thcenturysojourn.blogspot.com

Interesting maps, especially with the road along the ridge to the east of the crossraods shown with what seem to be woods.

here is my friends board

one inch 50 m

picture

more in the album

this image from
Alison's History of Europe

link

three things we noted on our 2008 refight

accoring to one sketch of hougomont right after the fight there is a hedge along the road that is a cross the front of the farm on the french side about 8 to 10 ft tall this protected the farm from artillery and allow the French to close and skermish with the walls (30 yds)

there is a bump to the east of Le Hay sanint about 50 out from the road with trees this is shown in Akins book on waterloo, this is where the French brought up artillery and fired on the allied center after the taking of Le Hay.

on the sunker road only a hedge on the frech side.

and Wellington postion was lower than Napoleon's.

the member who Waterloo table that is walk the battlefied this year was suprised how small and how flat it appeared.

Lord Ghee

What side buildings did he use?

DukeWacoan,

Most of the Buildings are had built out of balsa wood, and I will find out about Hougomont and the church.

I assume you are address me

Lord Ghee

I do three or four guided tours of this battlefield every year, and have done for some years now, so I know it pretty well.

You really must have a look at that Siborne model. He went to a lot of trouble to get it right, even down to the crops in the fields.

Also you must get (if you haven't already) the Adkins book on Waterloo.

Don't forget the knoll above the sandpit. Everyone does, or so it seems! It was important in the battle, sheltering some British guns from the french grand battery yet allowing them to fire on D'Erlons troops.

You will also find that the terrain around Papelotte, La Haye, Frischermont is localised "bocage" – very bad for non-infantry troops.

Its a great battlefield, deserves to be set up with care.

Geoff

"The low ground between Mont St. Jean and Belle Alliance seems to have been almost a morass on the day of battle. Perhaps some hints of water amongst the cereals. "

I walked it two years ago and got wet feet in June on what was a dry day so I suggest the ground is perhaps prone to waterlogging

the only problem with the battlefield walks are they don't give a turn layout of the battlefield. don't forget that the feild has been changed when the wellington monument was built. most of the protective ridge was used to build up the mound.

Could you explain what a 'turn layout is'?