In that time the village had all but ceased to exist.  Roads and tracks had all but disappeared.  Here and there on the site of the old village a line of brick dust stained the cratered earth as a clue to the previous site of cottages.  A few fragments were all that remained of the church, and some grey stones were all that remained of the château. 

The present village of Thiepval is smaller than its predecessor and, being built a little to the south and west is in a slightly different position.

Thiepval’s defences included two particularly strong points, the notorious Schwaben Redoubt to the north of the village and the Liepzig Redoubt to the south. 

Thiepval and the redoubts were major strongholds with very deep dugouts, concreted cellars, communication tunnels and masses of barbed wire behind which were sited numerous machine-guns in dominating positions. 

Terrible losses were sustained by both sides during the attacks made on July 1, 1916.

Thiepval is little more than a hamlet today. The farm buildings near the church are built on the site of what was Thiepval Château. The château was an imposing building with an elegant façade but it was destroyed completely in the fighting. The rectangular shape around the farm traces the château’s original foundations. The rough uncultivated patch of ground in front of the church marks the site of the old village pond.