ARCHAEOLOGY OF A GREAT WAR DUGOUT: BEECHAM FARM, PASSCHENDAELE, BELGIUM

Beecham Dugout is situated on the lower slopes of the Passchendaele Ridge, to the north-east of the Belgian town of Ypres (Ieper). Fears over the stability of the structure created the need for emergency archaeological investigations. The dugout is shallow (2 m deep) and was constructed in a basic 'T' shape, with accommodation for 66 men and four officers. It is cut within silty-sand levels of the Passchendaele Ridge. The dug-out was surveyed, recorded and removed. Archival studies, coupled with artefacts recovered, suggest that this is a dugout of German construction, but one that had been occupied by British troops after capture of the ridge in 1917. Prior to this discovery, the presence of German dugouts was largely unknown.