"Visiting Battlefields" Topic

What is your preferred way if visiting a historical battlefield?

A. With a tour?
B. What a individual battlefield guide?
C. Walking it with friends?
D. Walking it solo?
E. Letting your fingers do the walking online?
F. Reading about it in a book?
G. You dont walk battlefield?
H. Whats a battlefield?
I. Cant visit the battlefield in fantasy or space?
J. Not your cup of tea?
K. This is ridiculous?
L. Other?

Good question. It can depend on the battlefield. For example, Culloden or the Boyne have Visitor's Centres, free maps, marking & pathways etc. You can easily walk it yourself. I believe a lot of ACW & AWI battlefields are equally visitor-friendly?

That being said, I have also taken a guided tour of Culloden & the excellent guide provided extra information.

Walking an "empty field" can be useful & also entertaining but you have to put the effort in.

So in the spirit of being totally unhelpful (sorry), A, B, C, D.

I once spent several hours walking the site of Mons Graupius – at a site in Aberdeenshire my cousin assured me was the place.

After clambering through heather etc, a local farmer approached & told us the battle field was several miles away "over there".
And further research has convinced me he was probably wrong too.

D. with a boardgame or scenario guide of the battle. I have done Gettysburg with a Park service guide in the car. That was 30 years ago, I'm not sure if this is still available. I find as a gamer having a guide not worth it, we know too much trivia.

I have done A thru F.

Have done a considerable number here in the US over 50 years, Have started to add a few in Europe over the lest several years.

Kim

Used to walk independently before I lost my leg. Now I try to hit souvenir show or theaters.

A through F for me too.

In Normandy. And Arnhem.

Walked Epsom, Goodwood, Totalize and Bluecoat battlefields including Pavee where Sidney Bates won his VC.

It's quite something being at a battle site compared to just reading about it in a book.

Also then visiting the cemeteries near where battles took place to see those that didn't make it.

And knowing relatives of mine were in these battles.

B

With friends, half the value comes from doing the research beforehand. It's very rewarding trying to tie down the location where incidents from people's memoirs happened.