There survives one final witness to the horrors of WWI: “the fields of battles themselves”. On this premise, and taking place outdoors in Guildhall Yard by permission of the Corporation of the City of London, this “final in a series of photographic exhibitions” (brought to viewers by Michael St Maur Sheil) explores “how time and nature have healed the scars of war”; the Great War, specifically. Very much tilted to a global perspective on the “nature of conflict” and the potential for “peace and reconciliation”, this major photographic exhibition comes to the capital at the end of the month, on 30th April, and runs until 28th May.

Far from being predominantly British focused, St Maur Sheil’s exhibition includes for the viewpoints of both the Commonwealth and the wider global community. Inspired by the words of a veteran, that “in time the country would come back to life, the grass would grow again, the wild flowers return”, St Maur Sheil has studied in particular the natural landscape where atrocious bloodshed took place, searching for the realisation or otherwise of that veteran’s prophecy. It is up to the viewer of these images to decide whether indeed the Fallen have lain “still and at peace below the singing birds, beside the serenely flowing rivers” or not. Indeed, whether the audience’s accord is decided or not (no images of the actual, visceral horror of war are included here), it is a fact irrefutable that those many, many deaths will “be part of us forever”.

Come to fruition through generous funding from Ashford Borough Council and the U.S. National WWI Museum and Memorial, as well as public donations and participation from peoples of many different countries – this exhibition, with its open-armed “spirit of fellowship”, seeks to heal via its very existence, as much as portray the natural healing process of time itself since that terrible moment in history. Over 10 million people in nine countries (including France, Turkey, and New Zealand) have been witness to the power of St Maur Sheil’s exhibition. Now is London, is Britain’s turn.

A blend of St Maur Sheil’s “contemporary battlefield images” and “meticulously researched content including archive images and fascinating facts”, Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace 14-18 (a registered not-for-profit charity) is absolutely free to the public, aiming to educate young and old alike in this very much shared history. As Jonathan Prince (Chief Executive of this charitable trust) mentions, although 59% of people in the UK have visited a war memorial, local or national, shockingly seven in ten have no idea what part their own relatives played back then. In his own words, “It is precisely this gap between interest and understanding of community and familial roles and changes in the War, that [these] photographs and interpretations are designed to address”.

If you don’t manage to wander around Guildhall Yard, after the City’s slot has ended St Maur Sheil’s exhibition will go on tour, travelling first to Ashford, Kent from Sunday 3rd June, then on to Worcester from 1st September, before returning to London, this time in St. James’ Park (with permission by The Royal Parks) from 6th October.