Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery

Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery is a war cemetery located about two kilometers east of Nieuwpoort, in the province of West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium. It lies on the N367, the road running from Nieuwpoort to the village of Sint-Joris, close to the junction with Ramscappelle Road (Ramscappellestraat), from which the cemetery takes its name. The cemetery was founded in 1917, during the First World War, when the area around Nieuwpoort and the Yser river formed part of the Western Front's Belgian coastal sector.

Where exactly is it located?

The cemetery sits on the flat, open terrain typical of coastal West Flanders, directly alongside the N367. Its coordinates are approximately 51.1285°N, 2.7679°E. Its position along the main road connecting Nieuwpoort with Sint-Joris makes it easy to reach both for local residents and for visitors touring First World War sites along the former Yser front line.

Why was it established here?

The founding year, 1917, places the cemetery in the middle phase of the war, when fighting continued along this stretch of front — one that had been stabilized since 1914 following the Battle of the Yser — and casualties needed burial grounds close to the fighting lines. The proximity of Nieuwpoort, a town of strategic importance thanks to the mouth of the Yser river at the North Sea and the lock system used in 1914 to flood surrounding land and halt the German advance, explains why war cemeteries serving units engaged in this sector were established in the area.

What should visitors know?

Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery is one of numerous war cemeteries scattered along the former Yser front line, together bearing witness to the fighting that took place in this part of Belgium between 1914 and 1918. A characteristic feature of the region is that many such burial grounds were established directly beside the access roads leading to the rear of the front, which made transport and later maintenance of the graves easier. The cemetery's name comes directly from the road beside which it stands — Ramscappelle Road, connecting the Ramscappelle area with the network of roads around Nieuwpoort.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery located? About two kilometers east of Nieuwpoort, on the N367 road toward Sint-Joris, in the province of West Flanders.

When was the cemetery founded? In 1917, during the First World War.

Where does the cemetery's name come from? From the nearby Ramscappelle Road (Ramscappellestraat), beside which it is located.

How do you get there from Nieuwpoort? Via the N367 toward Sint-Joris — the cemetery lies near that road's junction with Ramscappelle Road.

Is this the only war cemetery near Nieuwpoort? No — the area along the former Yser front includes many First World War cemeteries, and Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery is one of them.