Essex Farm Cemetery
Boezinge Road, Boezinge, West Flanders, 8900
The Essex Farm Cemetery is a burial ground and memorial in the Ypres Salient commemorating approximately 1,200 service personnel from World War I. Buried in the cemetery are Commonwealth soldiers who died between April 1915 and August 1917 as casualties at a dressing station in the area, including 103 unidentified soldiers.
The basics
Essex Farm Cemetery is one of several stops regularly included on tours of the World War I battlefields that leave from Ypres and Bruges. The cemetery mainly receives attention as it has ties to the famously moving poem “In Flanders Fields” written by John McCrae; it is said he was in the area when he wrote it, and there is now a commemorative plaque to him just outside the cemetery. The other noteworthy memorial just outside Essex Farm Cemetery is dedicated to the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division.
Things to know before you go
The John McCrae Site is past the cemetery entrance on the left.
The cemetery does have wheelchair access with a gate to its gravel path at the entrance. However, the 49th Division Memorial, neighboring the cemetery, is only accessible by stairs.
There is limited roadside parking in the area.
How to get there
A guided tour of the Ypres Salient is the easiest way to reach Essex Farm Cemetery on its own or together with other cemeteries. Travelers with their own vehicle can take Diksmuidseweg road (N369) north towards the village of Boezinge, and the cemetery is on the right just past the N38. It’s also possible to walk there from the center of Ypres in roughly 40 minutes by following the Ypres–Comines Canal.
When to get there
The Essex Farm Cemetery is always open to the public, so you can visit whenever it suits you. As the cemetery is outdoors, visitors may want to avoid going in during winter, as you’ll be exposed to the elements. Don’t leave your visit too late in the day if you plan on catching the Last Post back in Ypres at 8pm, as you’ll want to allow time to get a good spot.
Cemeteries of the Ypres Salient
The Ypres Salient is the region around the city of Ypres that made up the battlefield during World War I. Just as there were multiple battles in the area with various nations fighting, so too are there now many cemeteries and memorials that travelers can visit. Besides Essex Farm Cemetery, other places where British service personnel were buried include Tyne Cot Cemetery and Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
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