Carrière Wellington, Underground military museum in Arras, France
Carrière Wellington is an underground museum beneath Arras housed in limestone tunnels created from medieval stone quarries. The network runs several levels deep below the city streets and displays how soldiers lived and worked together in these spaces.
British and New Zealand soldiers converted these medieval stone quarries into a military shelter system in 1916 to protect thousands of troops from artillery fire. The project was completed shortly before the major Battle of Arras, where tens of thousands of soldiers were gathered in these tunnels.
The tunnels still bear the carved names, drawings, and messages that soldiers left on the limestone walls during their stay underground.
Visits take place on guided tours where visitors explore the underground passages and learn about their past. The spaces remain cool and stable year-round, so appropriate clothing is advisable and the stairs require moderate physical fitness.
Some tunnel rooms display well-preserved traces of daily life, including beds, bunks, and washbasins that soldiers used in these underground spaces. These intact remains allow visitors to imagine how intense and prolonged the experience of living underground actually was.
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