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Military cemetery · Zonnebeke, West Flanders
Tyne Cot Cemetery
The largest Commonwealth military cemetery in the world, with about 12,000 graves and a wall bearing almost 35,000 names of missing soldiers, on the Passendale ridge.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Tyne Cot Cemetery
Tyne Cot sits on a low ridge below the village of Passendale, from where Ypres can be seen in the distance. It is the largest cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in the world, with 11,968 graves. Around 7 out of 10 contain soldiers whose names are unknown.
The name comes from a barn that soldiers of the Northumberland Fusiliers called Tyne Cottage, near the road between Passendale and Broodseinde. There were German casemates there, taken by Australian troops on 4 October 1917. Medical officers set up an aid post in the largest shelter, and those who died were buried beside it.
After the war, graves from other areas were concentrated on the site. The design is by Sir Herbert Baker and John Truelove. In 1922 King George V suggested placing the Cross of Sacrifice atop the original casemate, which can still be seen beneath it.
On the rear wall, the Tyne Cot Memorial lists 34,936 names of United Kingdom and New Zealand soldiers with no known grave, who died after August 1917. Other missing from the salient are commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres.
In 2023 the cemetery and memorial were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, together with other funerary and commemorative sites of the First World War.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 1 hour, including the visitor centre and a walk around the cemetery.
Best time
Early in the morning or late in the afternoon there is usually less activity, especially from April to October when school groups and tours arrive. On rainy days, common from November to February, the grass paths become wet.
How to get there
It is in the countryside, northeast of central Zonnebeke. There is parking next to the visitor centre. Without a car, the most common option is the guided tour departing from Ypres. Cycling is also an option, via rural roads.
Tip
At the entrance there is a register with the names and locations of each grave. Those looking for a specific soldier can search the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database beforehand. Visitors are asked to keep silent and not to walk on the flower beds in front of the headstones.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Tyne Cot Cemetery
Why is the cemetery called Tyne Cot?
Because of a barn that soldiers of the Northumberland Fusiliers, a regiment from northeast England, called Tyne Cottage, in reference to the River Tyne.
Who is buried in Tyne Cot?
Soldiers of the Commonwealth: British, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and South African, among others. Most died in the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. There are also some German graves.
What casemate is that beneath the cross?
A German casemate captured by the Australians on 4 October 1917 and used as an aid post. The Cross of Sacrifice was built over it at the request of King George V.
How can I find the grave of a specific soldier?
At the entrance there is a register with the name and location of each identified grave, organized by row and plot. The names on the Wall of the Missing appear in the register kept in the memorial's rotunda.