Yes, that doesn't surprise me that much. Also, there is a tourism industry that has developed around the years. There are a lot of decedents of WWI soldiers coming to see where their ((great-)great)-grand father fought/died 100 years ago, we see people from Australia, New-Zealand, Canada, the UK.
As for the Thiepval monument, I meant one of the tallest building on sovereign UK soil, but outside the British Isles. However, I've heard in a casual conversation, I'm not sure it's actually true. Yet, it's definitely a big memorial monument ^^, you can see it from miles away.
Ah, OK. Both on UK soil and in continental Europe, I see. Yes, that's quite possible, since other than that there's only Gibraltar, I think.
(Though, off-topically, I don't necessarily buy the "UK soil" part. Supposedly even the "embassies are foreign soil" thing is more of an urban legend than legal reality. Also, the monument being the property of the UK should be enough to block its destruction.)
> Supposedly even the "embassies are foreign soil" thing is more of an urban legend than legal reality.
It depends on what you mean by "foreign soil." Embassies are extraterritorial--as the name implies, it does not represent a claim on land, but the laws of the diplomat's country, not the host country, generally apply. This difference is sometimes crucial: being born in an embassy would not give you jus soli citizenship and GWB set up the terrorist prison in Guantanamo Bay to try to ensure that the Constitution wouldn't apply (since Guantanamo Bay isn't US soil, it's a base leased to the US by Cuba).
> On 29 December 1915, a law was passed creating a right to a perpetual resting place on French soil to any soldier in the French army or Allied army who had died for France. The land that contains the UK's war cemeteries abroad is held "in perpetuity" by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
As for the Thiepval monument, I meant one of the tallest building on sovereign UK soil, but outside the British Isles. However, I've heard in a casual conversation, I'm not sure it's actually true. Yet, it's definitely a big memorial monument ^^, you can see it from miles away.