Walking Portugal and Spain One

Summary of Holts tour of Portugal and Spain

2009-10-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Jan and I often thought about visiting the battlefields of Portugal and Spain, particularly as our Waterloo holiday in 1971 had been so enjoyable. We had always been put off by the difficulty in researching how to explore the battlefields, and our complete lack of Spanish or Portuguese.

Whilst living in Germany we had visited quite a few battlefields. Some, like Verdun, had been easy to explore. This battlefield is a national monument for the French, and there are lots of books available about the battlefield itself. It is also very well sign posted.

Others, like Minden, had proved difficult in the extreme. We lived quite close to Minden, and after our Waterloo holiday had tried to explore Minden battlefield armed with a book of the battle and a modern day map. It had proved a complete failure.

Then one day in 1991 I found out about Holts Battlefield Tours. I had heard of them before and knew they specialized in visiting World War One and World War Two battlefields. But they were now doing Portugal and Spain. They were not cheap, but it was the opportunity that was too good to miss.

They did three tours. The first was Portugal, the second Spain and the third the Pyrenees. We would have liked to do all three, but could not afford that. So we choose the one which offered the best selection of battlefields. The tour would last seven days from 21 to 28 October 1991, and would visit 10 battlefields and let us visit both Lisbon and Madrid.

It was an excellent tour and proved very good value for money. Most important of all, it would give us the confidence to return to Portugal and Spain and “do our own thing”.

The next blog will deal with our return visit to Portugal and Spain to explore more of Wellington's Peninsular battlefields, this time on our own.

You can read about it at:

http://morewalkingportugalandspain.blogspot.com/

Madrid

2009-08-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Our last night was spent in Madrid. Lovely hotel, like all of the rest, and excellent location – right in the centre of the city. However we were both too tired to take advantage after such a hectic week.

Holts Battlefield Tours are not a cheap way to visit battlefields, but I must admit that our tour from 21 to 28 October 1991 was definitely very good value for money.

We had visited the cities of Lisbon, Salamanca, Toledo and Madrid. More importantly we had visited the Napoleonic period sites of Elvas, San Christoval, Badajoz, Albuera, Alcantara, Cuidad Rodrigo, Almeida, the bridge on the river Coa, Fuentes de Orono, Salamanca and Talavera.

Not bad for 8 days, which included flying to Lisbon and back from Madrid.

The disadvantage, for me, was the limited amount of time available at each site. I always felt that I would have liked another hour or so at each one. There was also the frustration of always being in a large group, where the desires of the individual must always take second place to the needs of the group. And I have no doubt that most of my fellow travelers would feel that they had sufficient time at most, if not all, locations. After all most of them were regular Holts Tour travelers and this was just another holiday. For Jan and I it was much more than that.

This holiday had given us a taste for visiting the Peninsular Battlefields. We had not done all of them, but we had done a lot. This was one of two coach tours to Portugal and Spain organized by Holts, and Jan and I were anxious to see more. We were not sure whether we wanted to see more with Holts or on our own.

An organized coach tour is an excellent, and very easy, way to visit battlefields. No preparation is required, no maps are needed, it is not even necessary to know anything about the site you are about to visit. Someone is on hand to explain what battle took place at each stop, to point out the sites of particular interest and to answer any questions you may have. It is not necessary to find either the next battlefield, or the next night’s accommodation. It is not necessary to communicate with foreign people who speak a strange language. Everyone speaks English, or there is always someone on hand who can do so if needed. I was well aware that it would be a completely different ball game if we were to do it on our own.

On the other hand there is not the same excitement or satisfaction to be taken to the middle of a field in a luxury coach as there is to find a spot all on your own where an incident took place which you have read about in a history book. Or to have as long as you want to explore a location. To sit and read and to soak up the atmosphere.

From the moment we returned to UK we were quite sure that we would return to the Peninsular battlefields of Portugal and Spain. What was not sure was whether it would be on another Holts coach tour or under our own steam.

Talavera

2009-08-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

The battle of Talavera was fought on 27 and 28 July 1809. It should be an easy battlefield to find and explore, because as you can see from the map above it runs between the town of Talavera and the mountains to the north. Also there appears to be a road running directly to the mountains.

However there is now a large motorway through the centre of the battlefield and much of what is left is now private land.

I will describe the battlefield in the order in which we visited the various locations.

We were fortunate to have as our special guide the military attache at the British Embassy in Madrid. He was a colonel in the British Army, but I cannot remember his name. The battlefield is close to Madrid, and he had visited it many times and made a special study of the battle. We met him at the side of the river Alberche just outside Talavera

The bridge over the river Albereche was not used during the battle, but the river was crossed by the French infantry on the first day when they caught the British by surprise and almost captured Wellington, or Wellesley as he was then, at the casa de salinas.

We then drove to the new monument. The original is on top of the Medelin, which is now private land. When the road was built through the battlefield this new monument was built. Holts is a very military influenced tour company, and our guide laid flowers at the monument.

We found the monument to be a pretty soulless sort of place. Modern and impressive but it did not seem to capture the essence of a napoleonic battlefield - at least for Jan and I. However nearby there was a lovely picnic spot. Meals are something Holts Tours do really well with, and this was no exception. On the coach were a picnic lunch for each of us in a hamper with a small bottle of wine each. Pretty impressive. From the picnic site we could see this large building which was used as a hospital during and after the battle. I believe there were many such, including a large church in Talavera itself.

After lunch the coach took us to the Medelin. This is the hill at the left of the allied position which was held by the British throughout the battle. It is now private land, and a wealthy Spanish gentleman has built this impressive villa right on top! Obviously no problem with building permission here apparently.

Again Holts Tours came into their own. They had obviously arranged permission for us to visit, and the large gate was opened by the owner himself, who exchanged greetings and a large bottle of something nice changed hands. He then took us on a tour of the Medelin.

First stop was the original monument. To my mind this is much more in character than the ugly new one a few miles away. Behind Jan is the new villa. We were quite surprised to find that the building did not affect the hill too much, and the views not at all. Nothing like The Lion at Waterloo.

The owner, accompanied by his dog, showing some of our group around the top of the Medelin. There appeared to be work in progress, but I have no idea what. And I now know that unfinished projects is nothing new in Spain.

Walking to the the north side of the Medelin we had a great view of the valley between the hill and the mountains. This is the area of the British cavalry charge which ended in disaster when they encountered a dip which caused many casualties to both horses and men. One French attack on the hill was down this valley, but like the others it was beaten back.

The Portina stream marked the line between the French and British positions. The French were to the left, the British to the right. On the day we were there it was completely dry and looked could only be distinguished by the line of trees. This is the area where the French advanced to engage the British infantry and were beaten back. The British followed them over the screen and were in turn routed by the French reserves. This incident almost cost Wellesley the battle.

This is a view of the Medelin from the centre of the British line. The photographs is looking along the line of the Portina brook, so the British would be on the left and the French on the right.

The building is the casa de salinas, taken from the British side. This is the building where Wellington was almost captured by the French on the first day of the battle. There are two stories to explain why he was there. The first, and least likely, is that he was friendly with the wife of the owner.

The second, and much more likely, reason is that he was in the tower looking for the French through his telescope. There is a line of trees between the villa and the river Alberche, and it is said that this is the reason he did not see the approaching enemy. The story goes that as they entered the front door, he ran down the stairs and rode his horse out of the back gate.

The river Tagus just outside the town of Talavera. It played no part in the battle as the French had crossed it well to the west and approached the allied position beyond the river.

From just north of Talavera we could see the Cascajal, this is on the French side of the battlefield and is a slightly smaller hill immediately opposite the Medelin. In the foreground is the area where the French deployed and launched their attacks on the allied line.

This is the Medelin from just below the Cascajal. This is the view the French infantry would have had of the Medelin as they advanced in mass columns.

Looking towards Talavera from the Cascajal. The whole French army would have been deployed on the left of the photograph, and the British and Spanish on the right. The British would be nearer and the Spanish just to the north of the town.

Another view of the Medelin from just south of the Cascajal. The French columns would have moved from the right of the photograph. You can see that the hill would not have been very difficult to climb.

From the Cascajal we drove to the mountains to the north of the city, just the other side of the valley where the British cavalry charged. These hills were held by the Spanish, and did not feature in the battle. But they provide an excellent view of the whole area towards Talavera. It was from here that the local civilian population watched the battle. The hill in the foreground is Medelin.

Another view from slightly higher up the mountain, looking towards Talavera. The road in the middle ground is the new motorway, cutting through the battlefield. The French were on the left, the British on the left.

Salamanca

2009-08-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

Our first view of the battlefield was from just outside of Calvarassa de Ariba. Jan and our guide Julia Page are well wrapped up, because it was a very cold morning. It would be difficult to find a better spot to view the battlefield.

I like this map, because it is not cluttered and gives you a very clear idea of the battlefield. The Arapiles is 6 miles from the city of Salamanca. About half way down the map, on the right, is our first viewpoint at Calvarassa de Ariba. The Lesser and Greater Arapiles are just below together with the village of Los Arapiles.

This photographs was taken from the view point at Calvarassa de Ariba. The Arapiles are in the plain with the Greater (French) on the left and Lesser (British) on the right. This would have been what Marshal Marmont saw on that morning of 21 July 1812 as his troops raced to reach the Greater Arapiles ahead of Wellingtons men. From here he would have seen the two armies marching down the valley, French on the left British on the right.

After half an hour on the viewpoint we were all frozen, and glad to head for the only restaurant in the valley, just outside the village of Los Arapiles. Over a welcome hot cup of coffee we were told that this was the location where Wellington was having breakfast of chicken leg when he was told that the French had overextended themselves in trying to outmarch the British. He is reputed to have said "By God, that will do" as he threw away his chicken leg and rode off to issue orders for the attack on the French.

Jan and I sitting in the garden where Wellington is said to have received news of the French error and where he decided to order the attack. No idea whether it is true or not, but it is easy to believe as there is a good view of the battlefield from the garden, and there are no other substantial buildings nearby.

This is the view from the outskirts of the village of Los Arapiles looking towards the two Arapiles - Lesser on the left and Greater on the right. You can see how flat the plain is, and how these two strange hills are like islands in the middle of a flat sea.

Looking towards the Greater (French) from the Lesser (British). The buildings in the centre are an abandoned railway station. The Lesser is the smaller of the two, and more rounded than the Greater, which looks like a wargames hill with its flat top. Apparently the British got one gun up on the Lesser, which must have been quite a job.

This was the end of the tour, and the coach was heading back to Salamanca for a free afternoon to explore the city. I wanted to stay and see more of the battlefield, but was told that I would then have to make my own arrangements to get back to the city. The landlord had told us that there was a regular bus service, so Jan and I decided to stay and explore some more.

We walked across the valley towards the Greater Arapiles. This is the view from the bottom, and the monument on the skyline is the centre of the hill. This is where the Portuguese attacked the French. They were not allowed to load their muskets, in case they would stop to fire and then refuse to advance. However when they reached the hill, they found it too steep to advance up, and they had to break ranks and scramble up the wall like rock. As they did so the French lined the top and fired down into the helpless mass. Not surprisingly the Portuguese broke and ran back, followed by the French.

Sitting on the top of the Greater Arapiles there is an amazing view of the whole battlefield. This is the spot where Marshal Marmont was wounded at a critical point in the battle.

A view of the Lesser Arapiles from the Greater Arapiles. Reports of the battle state that Marmont was mislead as to allied intentions because he was unable to see what they were doing. Yet this hill was held by the French throughout the battle, and its hard to see what would have hid the British and Portuguese from the French.

Having spent a full day walking the battlefield, we returned to the restaurant for a coffee and snack. In broken English the owner directed us to the bus stop, which we found without difficulty. He had told us there was a bus every half hour, but after a good half hour wait we were cold and decided to start walking, and flag down the bus when it came. It was a long 6 miles, especially after a full day walking the battlefield, and not a single bus passed us throughout the journey. However it was well worth the effort to spend an extra four hours walking the battlefield. At least I thought so, not so sure about Jan!

Fuentes de Onoro

2009-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Of all the battles I had read about in the Peninsular Wars, the one at Fuentes de Orono has always been one of the most vivid. The battle was spread over three days 3-5 May 1811, and is famous for the fighting retreat of the Light Division and the famous "charge" of Ramseys horse artillery. But for me the most memorable was the hand to hand fighting in the village itself which has always made the most impression.

We drove to Fuentes de Orono from Salamanca, and the bus deposited us by the stone bridge over the river Dos Casas. Here we were briefed on the battle, and the left to look around as we wished. Jan and I remained at the bridge for a while as the rest made their way up to the church at the top of the village. We wanted to have a few minutes on our own to just stand and look. The houses on the far side of the bridge and river was the edge of the British defences, and we stood where French attack after attack was launched.

We slowly made our way up through the tangle of narrow streets to the surprisingly large church at the top of the village. This was the furthest the French had advanced. "The Highlanders disputing every foot of ground, had been driven to the churchyard where they fought hand to hand with the grenadiers...." They never managed to take the church, and time after time they were pushed back down the narrow streets to the river and bridge.

The narrow streets and stone walls looked exactly as I had imagined they would. I understand that the village was largely destroyed during the battle, and rebuilt afterwards. But it was easy to imagine that it must have looked just like it does now.

There are many descriptions of the hand to hand fighting in the village. I remembered one in particular "....in their flight about 150 of the Imperial Guard ran down a street the farther end of which had been barricaded by our troops. Shut up in a complete cul-de-sac the result may be imagined - a frightful slaughter...."

Walking down the dirt tracks towards the river it was all to easy to imagine just what it must have been like for both French and British during the endless hand to hand fighting that raged in this small village for hour after hour.

The Coa

2009-07-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

The bridge over the river Coa is about a mile from Almeida. You go down a steep and curving road and cross the dry river bed of the Coa on a new road bridge. However a few hundred yards away is the original bridge, where Crauford almost lost the Light Division on that fateful morning of 24th July 1810.

The Light Division was deployed on the right bank of the river Coa maintaining contact with the garrison of Almeida. Wellington suggested that they withdraw to the left bank, but Crauford was confident he could remain a little longer. On the morning of 24th July he was suddenly confronted by the 24,000 men of Marshal Ney's VI corps.

The Light Division were bundled down the road and nearby hill towards the river, hotly pursued by the numerous French. When they reached the bridge, they realised that part of 52nd were still on the French held bank, so they had to recapture a hill overlooking the bridge.

Once they retreated over the bridge they were safe. The French lost heavily in attack after attack over the narrow bridge, which was easily defended by the riflemen scattered over the rocky hill on the left bank.

It was not a battle, only a Combat of the Coa. It could easily have resulted in the destruction of the famous Light Division. There was much criticism of Crauford, but Wellington defended him as "his intentions were good".

Like many rivers in Portugal and Spain, the Coa is dry for much of the year. When it does rain, it quickly fills and becomes a raging torrent. You can see from this photograph how wide the river is at this point. At the time of the battle the river was in full flow

We only had half an hour to explore the area around the bridge. Because the new road is out of sight, it is very quiet around the bridge now, and possible to explore as much as you like. Even with the river bed dry it was very difficult to cross other than by the bridge.

Almeida

2009-07-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Almeida is to Portugal what Cuidad Rodrigo is to Spain, it is the fortress which guards the northern corridor. As such it played an important part in the Peninsular Wars. It is perhaps best known for the French siege in 1810, when one of the first shots fired caused a chain reaction resulting in the destruction of the fortress. The cathedral contained the central powder magazine. A lucky shot led to a chair reaction which caused the magazine to explode. The cathedral ceased to exist, the tops of houses throughout the town were sheared by the explosion as if by a knife. The outer walls suffered little, but 500 Portuguese solders were killed in an instant. The garrison surrendered the following day.

This is the same explosion which Sharpe escaped by hiding in a bread oven in Sharpes Gold!

Almeida is only a few miles from Cuidad Rodrigo. It is a slightly larger fortress, and even better preserved, as can be seen from the photograph above. However whereas Cuidad Rodrigo is a bustling town full of life, Almeida has the feel of a deserted place, almost a museum. There are people living in the town, but it seemed unnaturally quiet when we were there, even though it is a popular tourist attraction. And perhaps that is the problem, it has the feel of a National Trust village in UK. Almost as if it is preserved for tourists to come and wonder at.

This bridge is still the main entrance, indeed I believe the only entrance, to the town. Clearly very little has changed since 1810, although all signs of the explosion have been removed - except for the site of the cathedral. It is a flat area at the top of the town, and looking at the town you an easily imagine how the explosion would have removed the roofs of the houses, but gone over the top of the walls.

This rather pretty post card of Almeida sums it all up for me. A picturesque old fortress suitable for coach parties to spend half an hour or so. Nothing wrong with that, but it seemed to lack character or personality. Or perhaps it was just my mood on the day we visited?

Not so in fact. We were to return a few years later and spend a night in the Paradore, and were left with a very similar impression.

The streets can have changed but very little since 1810. You an almost imagine Sharpe and Harper arriving with the gold on their way to report to the garrison commander! This is the main street and on the left are the casemates. They are kept locked, but opened for coach tours. It was a very dark and dank sort of place, as you would expect. The floor was covered with heaps of rusting cannon balls. You wonder why the magazine was not stored in the casemates, which I imagine would be the natural place for it.

The original barracks. Unfortunately we were not allowed to look around, not sure why. They did not seem to be occupied or in any way lived in.

Proof that there are occupants of Almeida. Its just a little surreal that they were using donkey transport. Again shades of Sharpe and Harper.

I feel Almeida should be a lot more interesting than it was. I have struggled to explain why it was not so and feel that I have failed. It would be interesting to hear from anyone else who has visited to know whether they felt the same.

Cuidad Rodrigo

2009-07-11T03:52:00.000-07:00

In my diary I wrote "Cuidad is exactly like I imagined it would be". That really sums up Cuidad Rodrigo for me, both this first visit and our subsequent, much longer, one. If I had to recommend just one location of the Peninsular War to visit, it would probably be Cuidad.

We arrived in Cuidad about 7pm, feeling quite weary and stiff after our long coach journey. We were delighted to be told that our hotel would be the castle of Cuidad Rodrigo. The very place where the French surrendered. There is some dispute about who actually received the surrender, junior officers of both the 52nd and 88th claimed the honour, but no dispute but that it happened in the castle. When the town was stormed, the governor and his staff sought refuge in the castle. Shortly after the British arrived and he handed over his sword.

The castle is now a state run hotel. In Spain there are a number of these hotels called Paradores. They are often historical buildings, such as castles, which have been renovated to a very high degree and turned into 4 or 5 star hotels. The castle of Cuidad Rodrigo is one.

Walking around the castle/hotel is looked like any other luxury hotel. But in the grounds outside it was very easy to imagine the events of January 1812 unfolding.

Whilst everyone else was making their way to their rooms, Jan and I went for a walk around the town. First we walked around the town walls. They are very much as they were in 1812, and you can still walk around the whole circumference. On this evening we seemed to be the only ones doing so. It was quite dark as we started our walk, and one could easily imagine a French sentry doing his rounds and listening for the first sounds of the British approach.

The next morning we had an even greater treat. Our guide spoke to the receptionist and obtained the key to the castle tower. We climbed to the top and had the most magnificent views of both the town and the surrounding area. The town also looks much as it must have done in 1812, particularly the cobble streets in the tiny market just below the castle.

Gathered on the castle tower we had a briefing on the siege and the subsequent storming. It was easy to follow the sequence of the siege, and why the Tesons has been chosen to commence the bombardment. It was also easy to under the layout of Cuidad Rodrigo. We were told, and I find it easy to believe, that the narrow streets of the old town can be negotiated using early nineteenth century military maps.

It was not time to have a guided tour of the town walls. We followed the route Jan and I had found the previous night. It was easier to find the landmarks outside the town in daylight, and we stopped to pay respects at the point where Black Bob Crauford was buried. He was killed leading the Light Division and buried in the Lesser Breach. It was impressive doing this tour, but did not have the same impact as walking the walls with Jan the previous evening, when we seemed to be accompanied by the ghosts of those brave men.

A striking photographs of the Roman bridge over the river Augeda, and the towering castle beyond. During the battle the Portuguese stormed over this bridge to join the storm of Cuidad Rodrigo.

Our group inspect the defences from outside the town. This would be the approximate site of the Great, or Main, Breach. If you inspect the stone work closely you can easily see the new stones which repaired the damage done by Wellingtons artillery.

Another view of the Greater Breach. From this angle you can see just how high it was once you were in the ditch. There would have been a rough rampart of rubble to climb up, but it would have been difficult to climb, and strongly defended by the French.

This view is from the approach to the fortifications. you are looking at the sloping bank of earth which deflected the artillery fire and protected the wall behind. Between here and the wall would be the ditch shown above. There is much damage to the church tower from cannon balls fired during the siege. The British gunners used the church tower as an aiming point.

It is a great, and humbling, experience to walk around the fortifications, climb down into the ditch and consider the courage needed on that night in January 1812. On this visit we did not have photo copies of descriptions of the storm, as we would on a later visit. But we knew the story only too well, and we had been well briefed before being left to explore on our own. No one objected to us climbing down into the ditch, to sit and picture in our minds eye what had happened in this very spot all those years ago.

Jan sitting on the edge of the ditch. We were allowed about half an hour to walk about on our own and study the ground and the defences at our leisure.

Having studied the walls and defences it was back on the coach for the short drive to the Great Teson. It was just as well we were taken there, for I suspect it would have been difficult to find on your own amongst the many houses that now cover the area. I don't really know if this was the actual sight of the first battery, but it looked like it could well be.
You can see that at this angle it was possible to fire over the defences and hit the wall near the church. This weakness was known to the garrison, and they had built a redoubt which had to be taken before the guns could be sited.

Alcantara

2009-07-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Its about 220 miles from Albuera to Cuidad Rodrigo, out next overnight stop on the coach tour. The journey took about five hours, a long time to sit on a coach and gaze out of the window. I knew that we were covering the same ground that many Frenchmen had during the peninsular war, but it was hard to imagine it as anything more than a long boring journey.

To break the journey we stopped at the old Roman bridge over the river Tagus at Alcantara. The bridge was of great military important during the Peninsular War, for it was the only one to cross the Tagus river in western Spain. The river is wide at this point and goes through a series of canyons which makes fording very difficult.

The bridge was repaired by the British in 1812 by means of a suspension bridge, which was considered something of a military marvel.

Its interesting that the destruction of the bridge was very unpopular with the local Spanish population. It would of course cause them great trouble, and also it was carried out by a Portuguese force commanded by a British officer. And there was no love lost between the Spanish and the Portuguese.

Jan standing on the approach to the bridge gives a good indication of how difficult it would have been to cross the river Tagus without the bridge. The grey skies give and warm cardigan prove that it can be grey and cold in Spain in October!

Albuera

2009-06-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

After an uneventful evening in Badajoz we were excited at the prospect of visiting Albuera. I would have welcomed a guided tour of Badajoz but this was not to be. The battle of Albuera which was fought on 5 May 1811 is not one I had studied in any great detaill. I was aware that it had been fought on the same day as Fuentes de Orono. But I knew more about the latter battle, because Wellington had been in command. I should explain that I had read quite a few books about the Peninsular campaign, but I was at the stage where it was all a little confused in my mind. I was hoping that this tour would help to keep the different battles and campaigns in some sort of order.

It is a short drive from Badajoz to Albuera, about 15 miles. So soon after leaving the city we were in the unimpressive town. Our first stop was the town square.

Albuera is situated west of the river of the same name, which flows north from south. The French approached along the main road, which crossed the river by a bridge and then passed through the town. The French had come north to raise the siege of Badajoz.

Beresford deployed his British, Portuguese and Spanish troops in the expectation that Soult would attack over river, using the bridge. The Spanish formed the allied right, or south, flank. They were still deploying as the French attack on the town commenced.

Our first stop was in the town square, with its memorial to the battle. The town was pretty unimpressive, and as I had not read up on the battle in any great detail not particularly interesting. I knew that the town was held by a KGL brigade, but that was about the extent of my knowledge.

We were however able to obtain an excellent view of the area of the French approach. The first attack was on the town and the nearby bridge. There was an area of trees to the right of the photograph, on the far side of the river. So Beresford could not see what the French reserves were doing. In fact they were crossing the river further to the right and were about to attack his flank - currently held by the Spanish.

This is the bridge over the river Albuera, and the scene of much fighting. The first French attack was over this bridge, and across the river either side of it. This is apparently the original bridge and not a later replacement.

The area of fighting on the allied right flank is an easy walk from the town, but you don't have to walk with Holts Tours. We trooped back onto the coach, and it took us across the fields to a spot, which we were assured, was the centre of the main fighting. Above Captain P and Julia explain the battle and point out the relevant points.

The main French attack was against the weakly held allied right flank. Beresford did not spot the French crossing the river, and the Spanish troops were to bear the brunt of the initial attack unsupported. The Spanish holding this area held their ground until supported by the British infantry. The firefight turned into a real "slogging match". The French were fought to a stand still, and eventually retreated south. However the allied casualties were very high. Many of the English troops involved were convinced that it would not have happened had Wellington himself been in command. However he never blamed Beresford, and indeed always supported him in his handling of the battle.

As you can see, the ground is flat and featureless. There is no sign of the "hill" where the firefight took place, but we were told that this is the area where the Spanish, and later British, troops exchanged fire with the French, who approached over this arable land. I have since read that there is some debate about the exact dispositions, but I have no reason to doubt what we were told.

Another view of the main fighting area. Left centre background is the town church, and in the centre the bridge.

I guess that we spent about one hour in the town, and another on the battlefield. As we were briefed on the battle, the coach driver washed the coach after its cross country drive! This visit was typical of the whole tour. You were driven to the exact spot where you would view the battle, which was explained in sweeping detail. You took your photographs, and you got back on the coach again - which had been washed while you were being briefed. Nothing wrong with that, and indeed it seemed to be just what my fellow travellers wanted. Indeed it might even be true that there was not much more to see no matter how much time you allowed for the visit. However I was left wishing I could have got my shoes just a little muddy and been allowed to explore the area more.

Badajoz

2009-06-14T01:36:00.000-07:00

Map of the city and the outworks

We arrived in Badajoz late in the afternoon, and drove straight to the area of the main breach, which is now a pretty little park. As we left the coach it was quite hard to realise that this was the site of the horrific storming on 6 April 1812.

We gathered at the foot of the breach, and Julia (our guest speaker) outlined the events of that fateful night. The walls are certainly impressive, indeed quite overpowering as you stand below and strain your neck to gaze up at them.

Badajoz from across the river

Julia (right in blue trousers) briefs the tour in the park at the foot of the walls

The attractive park built at the site of the storming

Up close to these massive city walls it was hard to imagine how anyone could climb them, let alone fight their way through in the face of a determined defence.

My favourite painting of the storm, despite the obvious attempt to add glamour for me it captures the strength of the defences and the determination to overcome them.

The castle from the garden. These walls were scaled and the castle taken by force

After a short time spent inspecting the walls, it was back to the coach and we drove into the city and parked near the same spot, but inside the city. Huge stone steps led up to the ramparts. We were impressed by how wide they were, you could easily drive a car along them. They are now covered in rubbish, and even used needles left by the local junkies. Very, very sad and really depressing to see such disregard for such an important site.

Not a very good photograph of the walls, but it was the only one I took standing below, and it has special memories for me.

The northwest wall of Badajoz looking east towards the castle. The road has been built between the town and the river Guadianna.

The ramparts of the walls, now very overgrown and covered with rubbish and even discarded syringes. Not a place you would want to visit on your own after dark

I felt that our visit to Badajoz was cut short, and I suspect that it was because we were running late. On the other hand, I might be wrong. Perhaps Captain P had covered all the ground intended, and just wanted to get his tour to the hotel. Its one of the big disadvantages of any, even the best, coach tour that your time at each location is governed by the requirements of the tour rather than your own inclination to remain and look around more. It was a feeling which I had more than once during this tour.

It was getting dark as we arrived at the hotel. Holts only use the better hotels and arrival and departure is usually a very smooth operation - but not this time. It appears that the hotel was in the process of closing down at the end of their tourist season. The hotel felt very cold and there were long delays at the reception. There were also soon complaints about lack of hot water. I have to admit that these problems were quickly overcome by Captain P. It was a small thing, and highlights how well the administration of the whole tour was handled that this is the only example I can remember.

Despite these delays booking in, we had two hours before our evening meal. My fellow tourists were more interested in baths, dinner and getting the heating sorted out than they were in exploring Badajoz. Indeed even Jan seemed more interested in creature comforts. However knowing that we were to leave first thing next morning, I wanted to explore Badajoz a little more.

Leaving Jan to enjoy the comforts of the hotel, I walked the short distance to the city. The hotel was on the other side of the river, and it was dark as I crossed the wide bridge overlooked by the castle and city walls.

I had heard that Badajoz had a reputation as a sad and depressing place. I am not usually receptive to such feelings, but I must admit that it was depressing as I walked the dark and almost empty streets. I made my way to the main plaza and the cathedral, glad to find bright lights and crowds of people. I explored some of the narrow dark streets, and made my way towards the greater darkness near the city walls. It was very easy to imagine what tit must have been like when the town was sacked after the siege. However remembering the discarded syringes on the ramparts I felt quite uncomfortable, even threatened, and made my way back to the hotel - a little sheepishly!

The road bridge over the river Guadiana looking bright and pretty, not at all like it was when I crossed it that evening in 1971

The same bridge during the siege in 1812

This photographs perfectly captures the mean streets of Badajoz near the city walls. You can imagine what it was like exploring along on a dark night!

I have since read that Badajoz is a depressing place where memories of the tragedies of a century and a half ago seem to linger in the old streets. And of course there were more tragedies to follow during the Spanish Civil War. I can only agree with this description, though whether it was due to my being tired after a busy day or not I am not really sure.

I feel quite sad that this is my lasting memory of Badajoz. I would not wish to put anyone off visiting the town, for it is well worth a visit. And indeed I actually feel that this type of memory is perfectly right for the scene of such horror and destruction, both in the Napoleonic Wars and later in the Spanish Civil War.

It is also true that of all the battlefields I have visited, this is one that I have never had any inclination to return to. I feel that Holts were probably right in the short amount of time they allocated to view the walls, and that there was not much more to see which would make a longer visit worth while.

Elvas and Fort Christoval

2009-06-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning we were up bright and early, excited to be on the road to Badajoz. We had a pleasant breakfast, but soon realised our fellow travellers were not to be seen. Worried that we might miss the coach we returned to our room for our suitcases and booked out. Then we learned our first lesson in coach tours - always be early on the first day. Most of the seats were already taken, certainly all of the best ones. What we had not realised is that with Holts you keep your seat for the whole t0ur, so the more experienced travellers had made sure that they had the best ones!

But all of this was pretty "small beer" as we settled down for the journey. Captain P explained the administration of the holiday as we left Lisbon. After each stop you had to check that the passengers in the seat in front of you had caught the coach. Also the time table for the day, which started with a short stop at Elvas on the Spanish border

Elvas played an important role in the Peninsular Wars, because it controlled the southern route from Spain to Portugal. This was also the direct road to Lisbon. It is situated a few miles from its more famous neighbour - Badajoz. For much of the war Badajoz was held by the French, so it was vital to hold Elvas. Despite this I could not find any record of a serious attempt by the French to take it.

We had gets her first sight of Badajoz from the walls of Elvas. We only stopped here for half an hour, not nearly long enough to explore all that we would have liked to.

Next stop was Fort Christoval. This fort played a vital role in both the first and second sieges of Badajoz in 1811. The old photograph above of Fort Christoval was taken from the walls of Badajoz.

It is obvious from the above photograph and the diagram why possession of the fort was so important. Guns places on this high hill overlooking the city walls would cause havoc to the city and its garrison.

I took this photographs from the walls of Fort Christoval looking down on Badajoz across the river.

There is no restriction on access to Fort Christoval. We were able to walk around as we wished, and it is clear that the Fort has changed little, if at all, since 1811.

Julia Page was the guest speaker, and the expert on the period. Standing in front of Fort Christoval she told us the history of the two sieges. How the ground consisted of hard rock and little earth, so the British were unable to construct trenches to shelter their approach to the walls.

This diagram shows the position of the batteries during the first and second sieges.

Julia also told us the story of the assault on the fort. How the scaling ladders were made of unseasoned wood, which broke when the assault went in. The attackers were caught in this deep trench with the defenders firing down on them at very short ranges. It was quite an experience to walk around the walls having heard such a vivid description of the assault, and to see how impossible it would have been to climb the walls to get at the defenders.

Just where I am standing, on 6 June 1811 "....the main body of the storming party leapt down into the ditch, where they came to a halt. They could see there were seven feet of sheer ascent to the lowest point of the lip of the breach, and they saw that the gap itself has been stopped with carts and other obstacles. The French garrison plied them with musketry, and kept rolling down among them live shells that they had prepared for the occasion. " Out of 180 men there were 12 dead and 80 wounded. The French lost 1 dead and 5 wounded.

We were allowed about two hours a to explore Fort Christoval. I would have liked even longer, but it was getting dark and dinner awaited in Badajoz.

Lisbon

2009-05-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday 21 October 1991 Jan and I arrived at Heathrow airport to join a Holts Battlefield Tour of Portugal and Spain. It was more than 20 years since we had visited Waterloo, and I think some explanation might be in order.

From 1970 to 1976 we lived in Western Germany, well placed you would think for visiting battlefields. In 1971 we had a very enjoyable visit to Waterloo, and came back determined to visit more.

Over the next five years we did visit a number of battlefields, but all of the WWI or WWII. In particular we spent a very interesting weekend at Verdun. On another occasion we spend a couple of days at Arnhem. But no Napoleonic battlefields.

Soon after Waterloo we did try our hand at Minden, which was quite close to where we were living at the time. I spent a few weeks researching and gathering such maps as I could find. It was not my period, so I had to start from scratch. One weekend we set off, and it was a complete failure. The maps we had made no sense on the ground, and we could find nothing to orientate ourselves. It reminded me a lot of Ligny, where we had similar problems. Anyway the experience put me off trying to explore battlefields, unless they were well marked and easy to explore.

In 1991 I heard about Holts Battlefield Tours. I understood that they specialised in coach tours to WWI and WWII battlefields, however I had little interest in that period. I now discovered that they also offered a tour of Napoleonic battlefields in Portugal and Spain. I immediately sent off for their brochure.

When it arrived I was a little disappointed. First they were very expensive for a coach trip, one week in Portugal or Spain would cost £500 plus each!

Second they seemed to be very military oriented. For example the description of the tour guide for the Napoleonic tour read "Captain P................. served in Germany and East Africia with the Gordon Highlanders before transferring to the Small Arms School Corps. As a weapons specialist he has filled training and advisory posts in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Oman and in many other military theatres worldwide". All very worthwhile and good, but why would that make him particularly suitable to explain Napoleonic battlefields to me? And what is that "Captain" business about?

On the other hand the tour offered to take us to Lisbon, Badajoz, Albuera, Cuidad Rodrigo, Almeida, The Coa, Salamanca, Talavera and Madrid, all in seven days. A quick look at the map will show you just how much this covers:

I had long wanted to visit these battlefields which I had read so much about. However I had no Portuguese or Spanish, and I knew I would not have the confidence to go on my own. So it looked like I would have to either pay the money or lose the opportunity. £1000 was a lot of money to us then, but Jan agreed it was too good an opportunity to miss. So I booked and paid.

And left Salisbury at 0515 in heavy fog, and arrived in Heathrow two hours later. And here we were in the half empty arrivals area looking for someone with a Holts badge. We found the courier and were given an envelope with the weeks programme, and a list of our fellow passengers. I had expected that there would be a large number of retired army officers in dark blazers, grey flannels and regimental ties, but I had not expected a "Sir Donald and Lady Barbara". Jan was relieved however to see that she would not be the only female on the tour.

We made ourselves known to our fellow travellers, and sure enough there were a lot of regimental ties, but they proved to be very friendly and just as excited as us about the coming tour. I was greatly relieved that most of their knowledge of the Napoleonic period came from reading "Sharpe" books!

When we arrived in Lisbon we were taken to our hotel for the night, the four star Mundial, which is right in the centre of the Lisbon old town. We had read in the brochure that we would be staying at three or four star hotels, and that men should wear jacket and tie for meals, so we were not surprised. But we were surprised by the view below, which was from the balcony.

From our bedroom window we had a view of the roofs of the old town, which looked very similar to those below.

We had four hours before dinner, and we wanted to visit the Lisbon military museum. Captain P told us it was on the sea front, and gave us directions. We walked from the hotel, and found it without difficulty. Unfortunately he did not tell us that most museums in Portugal and Spain close on Mondays. However we did have an interesting walk, has a strong cup of coffee in a cosy little cafe, and got to know Lisbon a little.

After dinner we met our "special guest speaker", a lady called Julia Page. Apparently Julia had written a book or perhaps compiled some letters, about the period. I regret that I had not heard of the book then or since. I have recently tried to Google it, but could find no reference. Anyway she gave us a very interesting introduction, and explained that tomorrow we would leave Lisbon and make our way to Badajoz - as so many British soldiers had between 1808 and 1814