Читать книгу Battlefields - Michael Rayner - Страница 37

The battlefield is not as wooded as it was in1812 and the rear of the Arapil Grande has been lost to quarrying! Most roads have been surfaced and a new road and a railway line cut across the southern valley with a disused station at the foot of the Chico. Wellington could recognize his battlefield.

Leave Salamanca on the N630. After 5km (3 miles) you will pass Las Torres on your left; further on is a crossroads where you turn left for Los Arapiles. The Arapil Chico lies ahead, the Arapil Grande is to its right. Go into the village, supposedly unaltered since the fight raged around it, and stop at the town hall where there is a plaque, a map of the battle, and several cannon and muskets balls found in the area. To your left is the high ground from where Wellington watched the gap in the French line developing. It is climbable – and take a telescope, if only to survey the opposite ridge and dramatically snap it shut!

Keep on the road to reach the ruined station where you can park. Both Arapiles are within walking distance. Negotiate the fence; a track leads up the Chico for a magnificent panorama of the undulating field. To the north is the rearguard’s ridge, running back to the Tormes, and to the northeast is the knoll of Nuestra Señora de la Peña. The heights directly eastwards are where Foy’s division fought its retreat with the Light Division, while due south is the Grande. Around the railway station Clinton’s division defeated Clausel’s counterattack, while beyond it Leith’s division attacked Maucune’s men.

If you’re fit, climb the Grande. It can be tough going, but it is easier round the back. The views are stunning and you will be able to appreciate the size and scale of the whole engagement. You will also see just how restricted was Marmont’s view of Wellington’s deployment. It is a long hike to follow the railway, but across the valley, where the ground climbs, you will see a ridge to your left. More wooded in 1812, it was on this eastern rise that Ferey’s division made their heroic stand before crumbling and streaming back to Alba de Tormes.

The old bridge at Salamanca, over which Wellington’s baggage filed during the morning’s move west and the victorious general rode in triumph later in the day. Although now largely disused and falling into disrepair, it can still be seen today.