This tranquil and unspectacular scene is actually the infamous site of the first action of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916. The small black square at the top of the picture is above a clump of trees (on the hill) that has now grown up round a large crater. This was created by the detonation of a large undergrown mine at 7.20am, marking the beginning of the bloodiest battle in British history. This explosion was filmed and a still is included below. The innocent-looking lane to the right of the picture is the infamous 'sunken lane' where British troops waited to advance (they arrived there during the night, via tunnels from the British lines to the right, out of picture). Some of them can be seen in the other picture below - also a still from a film - as they wait to be told to advance. Their fate was to be mown down by German machinegunners who were in the woods at the far left of the picture, and they now lie in a cemetery in a dip, about half way between these woods and the sunken lane (you can just make out the cross in the picture).