Howick Redsteads farmer Richard Hodgson and friend Peter Pringle, who runs the motor shop in Alnwick Market Place, travelled to Belgium and northern France last month, beginning their tour in Ypres and heading on to the Somme and Arras.

Richard said: "For a number of years, I have wanted to visit the battlefields and cemeteries of the Western Front, so I eventually made time to go, and Peter, who is a keen cyclist, fancied going as well.

"I thought as I was doing this I may as well try to raise some money for Help for Heroes in the process."

On their way, the pair visited the Thiepval Memorial, where 73,000 names of British and South African soldiers who fell at the Somme and have no known grave are recorded, and the huge crater left behind at La Boiselle, where North East servicemen paid a heavy price against stiff German resistance.

And it also gave Richard and Peter a chance to pay their respects at the final resting places of local men, some of whom were related to their own families.

"As we worked our way down, it was noticable the number of cemeteries increased and we could see signs of trenches and water-filled craters," said Richard.

"We cycled to Puchevillers cemetery to pay our respects to Peter's wife Doreen's great uncle, Thomas Hetherington from Denwick, who was wounded and moved back to a clearing station behind the lines. Sadly, he died of his wounds.

"While standing at his grave we thought how far from home it was to fight and die.

"The next day we woke up to heavy rain and a wet pedal to visit another cemetery where J Cairn's name was on a memorial. He was Doreen's mother's relation."

After returning to Arras and Ypres, and visiting Poperinge and Brandhoek cemetery, Richard and Peter met up at the Menin Gate with members of the Northumberland branch of The Western Front Association who had travelled out on a coach trip.

They also visited Tyne Cot cemetery, which is the largest commonwealth military cemetery in the world and contains 12,000 graves and a memorial to another 35,000 who were never found.

Richard said: "The sheer scale of losses is incomprehensible until you actually visit these places and look at the line upon line of graves and names inscribed on walls do you realise how fortunate we are."

He added: "When we came in view of Dover you could imagine, 90 years before, soldiers returning and maybe thinking about the appalling conditions endured and friends lost in the most horrific war ever fought."

Money is still coming in, and if anyone would like to donate to Help for Heroes you can visit www.justgiving.com/richardhodgson

Richard and Peter also give special thanks to member of The Western Front Association who had a whipround on the coach and gave £180.