One of the leaflets we picked up in Ypres mentioned 3 CWGC that were quite close together. They were used by 3 casualty clearing stations near the front line. With typical 'Tommy' humour they had been named , in imitation of the local Belgian village names: Bandaghem, Dozinghem and Mendhinghem.   These names intriuged us as they had been used by the CWGC.  Without our Holt's battlefield guide, we had no map but placed them north of Poperinge.

We found a green and white sign for Mendinghem, but the lane was very narrow and we were afraid to chance it with the MH.  Being able to turn around and get back is usually a problem.
Holt's guide says that these cemeteries are not often visited and it might be difficult 'findinghem'!

We carried on and found a green and white sign for Bandaghem nr the village of Haringhe
  We followed a road through houses and into farmland which got narrower and then saw the big cross. This was quite a big cemetery, containing 732 UK graves and several Commonwealth ones plus 4 Chinese labourers and 39 Germans
Unusually almost all the headstones had names, and because the men had been brought to the clearing station they were from many different regiments.  There was even one from the Tank Corps.    We found out afterwards that there were 3 winners of the rare Albert Medal buried together. Less than 600 have ever been awarded.
We managed to turn around by using a farmyard gateway and made our way back to the main road to move on.   We were passing through a small village when we realised we had gone over the border and were in France!  

We had found a MH aire in the French Aires book which we thought might make a good lunch spot.   It was near the village of Cassel, but our edition of the guide stated that the aire was beside a fairly busy road.    We travelled across the very flat farmland and realised that Cassel was a hill village, with the church atop the only hill for miles around.   We had to wind up this hill, and down again on our most favourite road surface - The dreaded cobbles!!
We found the Aire , parked and went for a walk up to the village.  We got to the sports centre and found a big parking area with 2 motorhomes - this was the actual overnight parking place!
We collected the MH and had our lunch sitting out looking over the farmland.

We walked up the very steep lane and found a nice town. The TO was shut (it was a Monday!) but a map outside showed directions to a Panorama and gardens.
The path up to the gardens was via a grotto made of concrete 'rocks'.  
The gardens were very pleasant and there were fantastic 360 deg views over the surrounding flat countryside
   At the top was a big statue of Marechal Foch mounted on a horse.  
It was only later when we visited the church that we realised the significance of this statue.

 
There was a memorial to Foch in the church. Apparently in 1914 Sir John French C in C of the British forces had his GHQ in Cassel for a while. Foch took over from French
Mont Cassel is 176m high, and in a very flat plain, has always been strategically important.  
(This hill is purported to be the one that Frederick Augustus, the Grand Old Duke of York, marched his troops up and down again!)
Foch planned and commanded the First battle of Ypres from Cassel.  
In 1918 Foch moved back to Cassel again and the final battles of the war were planned there.

The statue of Foch in Cassel was unveiled by the French President, Poincare, in 1928. It faces towards Ypres and Menin.   Foch's office is in the building which is now the local museum.

Foch slept at a private house in Cassel which is now the Hotel de Schoeberque. Apparently there is a plaque there noting the famous people who visited Foch there, including: Albert, King of the Belgians, the Prince of Wales, Marechal Joffre, King George V, and Sir Douglas Haig.

A plaque in the church says that Foch walked across the square and attended Mass at 6am every day while he was there.  
Unfortunately we were unaware of most of this info while we were in Cassel.
We walked back down to the Aire along a path by the ramparts.