Oxford Road Cemetery

Oxford Road Cemetery is a First World War British military cemetery located on the outskirts of Ypres (Ieper) in Belgium, in the Sint-Jan area. It belongs to the network of cemeteries maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and commemorates soldiers who died during the fighting around Ypres, one of the deadliest sectors of the Western Front.

How did the cemetery get its name and how was it formed?

The name comes from a nearby road used by British forces during the war. The cemetery took shape in several stages. The original section, now known as Plot I, was used by units fighting in this area from August 1917 to April 1918. In October 1917, a second cemetery was started nearby, known as Oxford Road Cemetery No. 2, which today forms Plot V. After the Armistice in 1918, Plots II, III and IV were added, bringing together scattered graves from the battlefields east and south-east of Ypres.

Who designed the cemetery?

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, one of the leading architects involved in creating British war cemeteries across Flanders and France after the First World War. Blomfield shaped the layout of many similar sites, giving them a characteristic calm and orderly appearance, with rows of uniform headstones and carefully planned greenery.

How many people are buried at Oxford Road Cemetery?

There are now 851 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. As many as 297 of the burials are unidentified — their identities could not be established despite extensive research by the CWGC. In addition, the cemetery includes special memorials dedicated to three casualties known to have been buried there, though the exact location of their graves could not be found.

What is the legal status of the site?

The land on which the cemetery stands was assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium, a gesture of recognition for the sacrifices made by soldiers of the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war. As a result, the cemetery, like hundreds of other British war cemeteries scattered across Flanders, remains under the permanent care of the CWGC and holds the status of a site of international remembrance.

What should visitors know before coming here?

Oxford Road Cemetery lies in the Ypres area, itself one of the most significant sites of First World War remembrance in Europe — the location of four major battles of Ypres, including the fighting along the Passchendaele front. Visitors will find the layout typical of CWGC cemeteries: rows of white headstones together with the Cross of Sacrifice and the Stone of Remembrance, surrounded by carefully maintained lawns and hedges. It is a quiet, reflective place, less frequently visited by tourists than the larger nearby cemeteries, making it a good choice for those seeking a calmer encounter with the history of the Great War.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Oxford Road Cemetery located? The cemetery is located on the outskirts of Ypres (Ieper), in the area known as Sint-Jan, Belgium.

How many unidentified graves are there in the cemetery? Of the 851 casualties buried there, 297 are unidentified.

Who designed this cemetery? It was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, a well-known architect of British war cemeteries.

Is the cemetery part of a larger complex? Yes, it was formed from several originally separate cemeteries (including Oxford Road Cemetery No. 2), which were later combined into a single site managed by the CWGC.