Ypres Town Cemetery Extension

Ypres Town Cemetery Extension forms the eastern part of the larger Ypres Town Cemetery, sitting at the edge of the town of Ieper (Ypres) in Belgium's West Flanders region. It lies roughly a kilometre from the town centre, right along the Zonnebeekseweg (N332), the road connecting Ieper to the village of Zonnebeke — the very direction from which German forces repeatedly advanced during the successive battles for Ypres.

How did this burial ground come to be?

The extension was opened in October 1914, almost in step with the first fighting for the town, and remained in use until April 1915. Burials resumed here on two further occasions in 1918, when the front line shifted back toward Ypres. After the Armistice, the site grew substantially: 367 graves were transferred here from smaller battlefield cemeteries and isolated burial sites east and north of the town. This kind of postwar consolidation was standard practice for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), which worked to bring order to the thousands of scattered burial sites left across the former Western Front.

Who is buried here?

The extension now holds the graves or commemorations of 598 Commonwealth casualties from the First World War. A striking 137 of these burials belong to soldiers who could never be identified, despite the Commission's efforts. A further 16 men, known or believed to be buried among these unnamed graves, are honoured with special memorials, since their exact resting place within the cemetery could not be pinpointed. The site is not solely a First World War memorial — it also contains 43 burials from the Second World War, 13 of which remain unidentified, a reminder that Ypres remained a place of strategic significance and conflict in the following global war as well.

Who designed the cemetery?

The architectural design of the cemetery and its extension is the work of Sir Reginald Blomfield, one of the principal architects who collaborated with the war graves commission. Blomfield is also known for designing the nearby Menin Gate, one of the most recognisable memorials in the Ypres area to soldiers with no known grave. His characteristic style — austere, classically ordered — is visible in the layout of headstones, pathways, and stone features typical of CWGC cemeteries across Flanders.

Why is this site worth visiting?

The entire cemetery grounds were granted to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium, in recognition of the sacrifices made by soldiers of the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war. That gesture underlines how deeply Belgium values the memory of the allies who defended its territory. For visitors touring the Ypres region, this cemetery offers a quieter, less-visited counterpart to the area's better-known sites — an orderly, reflective place set right along the road leading toward the former front lines near Zonnebeke and Passchendaele.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Ypres Town Cemetery Extension located? About a kilometre east of Ieper town centre, along the Zonnebeekseweg (N332) toward Zonnebeke.

How many people are buried here? 598 First World War casualties and 43 Second World War casualties.

Who designed the cemetery? Sir Reginald Blomfield, who also designed the nearby Menin Gate.

Are all the graves identified? No — 137 First World War burials and 13 Second World War burials remain unidentified.