Mud Corner Cemetery

Mud Corner Cemetery is a small Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground located in the municipality of Comines-Warneton – Komen-Waasten, near Ypres, close to the French-Belgian border. It holds the graves of soldiers who died during the First World War on the Western Front, in an area that was one of the critical sectors of the front line around Ypres.

The cemetery sits on the edge of a wood that British troops knew as Plug Street Wood — their own soldier's rendering of the French place name Ploegsteert. That edge-of-forest setting gives the site a distinctly quiet, secluded character: Mud Corner Cemetery does not lie along the main routes travelled by visitors tracing the history of the Great War, but within a hushed, wooded landscape away from the busier memorial sites.

The land on which the cemetery stands was granted to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium, a gesture recognising the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war. This kind of permanent land grant underlies many CWGC cemeteries across Belgium and France, forming the legal basis for the network of remembrance sites the Commission still maintains today.

Geographically, the cemetery lies at approximately 50.7423° N, 2.8979° E, placing it in the heart of the former battlefields along the River Lys and around Ploegsteert — a sector that saw prolonged trench warfare during the war, including the presence of units drawn from across the British Empire.

Like other CWGC sites, Mud Corner Cemetery follows the Commission's characteristic, instantly recognisable layout: uniform white headstones arranged in rows, set within carefully tended lawns and modest flower plantings, the whole enclosed by a wall or hedge. This consistent design language, developed in the aftermath of the First World War, was intended to give every burial ground — however large or small, however remote — a sense of dignity and calm.

For visitors exploring the wider Comines-Warneton – Komen-Waasten area, Mud Corner Cemetery is one of many stops along the trail of Great War remembrance, alongside the numerous other cemeteries and memorials scattered around Ypres and the Lys valley. Its small scale and secluded position make a visit here feel more contemplative than the experience at the larger, better-known sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is Mud Corner Cemetery located? It lies in the municipality of Comines-Warneton – Komen-Waasten, near Ypres, on the edge of the wood known as Plug Street Wood (Ploegsteert Wood).

Who maintains the cemetery? It is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, on land granted to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium.

From which period do the burials date? The cemetery contains the graves of soldiers who died during the First World War on the Western Front.

Is this a large war cemetery? No — its character and name suggest a small, intimate site, one of many modest CWGC burial grounds scattered across the Ypres region, in contrast to the large necropolises such as Tyne Cot.

Why is it worth visiting? It appeals to visitors interested in First World War history and the fighting around Ploegsteert who prefer a quieter, less crowded memorial site than the major landmarks of the Great War trail.