Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery located roughly 5 km east of Ypres, Belgium, near the hamlet of Hooge in the municipality of Zillebeke. It holds the graves of soldiers from the Commonwealth forces who died during the First World War. The cemetery sits just off the main Ypres–Menin road, reached via the side lane Canadalaan, and lies only 100 metres from the Canadian Hill 62 Memorial.

Where exactly is it located?

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery lies in an area that was one of the most fiercely contested sections of the Ypres Salient during the Great War. The name "Sanctuary Wood" refers to a forest that, in the early stages of the war, was used by soldiers as a relatively safe rest area away from the front line — before it too became a battlefield. Access is via the Ypres–Menin road, followed by a short stretch along the side road Canadalaan, making the site easy to reach for visitors travelling by car, bicycle, or on foot.

What is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission?

The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the organisation responsible for the graves and memorials of Commonwealth soldiers who died in the two World Wars. The neat rows of uniform white headstones and carefully tended lawns are characteristic of every CWGC cemetery scattered across the former battlefields of Flanders, and Sanctuary Wood Cemetery follows this same recognisable layout.

What else is nearby?

The Canadian Hill 62 Memorial stands just 100 metres further along the same road from the cemetery. It commemorates the Canadian soldiers who fought and died in the fighting around Hill 62 during the Ypres battles. Because the two sites sit so close together, visitors touring the First World War heritage of the Ypres area often combine a stop at the cemetery with a visit to the memorial as part of the same route.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Sanctuary Wood Cemetery? The cemetery is located about 5 km east of Ypres, in the municipality of Zillebeke, near Hooge, just off the Ypres–Menin road along the side lane Canadalaan.

Who maintains the cemetery? Sanctuary Wood Cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which cares for the war graves of Commonwealth soldiers.

What landmark is closest to the cemetery? The Canadian Hill 62 Memorial stands just 100 metres away along the same road.

From which period do the graves date? The graves belong to soldiers who died during the First World War.