Approach to Mametz Wood

Mametz Wood lies three miles east of Albert and covers an area of about 220 acres. The original wood was completely destroyed during the First World War. It’s now privately owned and on the 7th July 2016 I came back to mark the centenary commemoration.
While walking in the woods it was reassuring to see the tracks of wild boar in the soil, to to hear the song of many birds and the hum of insects in the blazing heat. This painting is from the small road leading north out of Mametz Village and into the valley of Saint-Antonie.
Project website: www.battlelines-redrawn.co.uk