Buzancy Military Cemetery

Description

The cemetery was constructed next to a French military cemetery from which the graves have now been removed, leaving only a memorial stone at the current cemetery. After the Armistice, graves were brought in from battlefields in the vicinity. The field with graves lies higher than the road and can be reached via an impressive stairway flanked by two plant beds with yew. The stairway issues on to a natural stone landing. In conjunction with the Cross of Sacrifice, which is situated at the rear of the cemetery, the stairway forms the central axis of the cemetery. On the left-hand side of this there are the graves that were laid out in plot i, rows a-c, during the war.

The other rows were added after the war. The cemetery is surrounded on three sides by a low wall made of local limestone, topped by grey natural stone. On the east side is a shelter that is made of the same local natural stone combined with a smooth limestone. The building is extremely finely detailed and has a ceramic tile roof. The same design can be found at three other cemeteries in the region between Laon and Rheims, namely, La Ville-aux-Bois British Cemetery, Raperie and Vendresse British Cemetery, all of which were designed by Lutyens along with assistant architect Truelove. Two trees flank the Cross of Sacrifice.[99] (Geurst, 2010, p.235)

Bibliography

Geurst, J. (2010) Cemeteries of the Great War by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Rotterdam: 010 Publishers.

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Listing Reference

Client

Imperial War Graves Commission