Ieper is the Flemish name of the town familiar to hundreds of thousands of British soldiers as Ypres – its French appellation. During World War I, this ancient town, which was once a centre of the medieval wool trade, was used as a supply depot for the British army fighting in the trenches just to the east.

The Germans shelled Ieper to pieces, but after the war the town was rebuilt to its earlier design, complete with an exact replica of its imposing, thirteenth century Lakenhalle – cloth hall. The original building was located by the River Ieperlee, and boats could unload their wares on site.

Today, part of the interior has been tuned into the excellent in Flinders’ Fields Museum, a thoughtfully laid-out series of displays that attempt to conjure the full horrors of World War I. there is a simulated gas attack, personal artefacts and an array of photographs.