Beacon Cemetery

Description

The cemetery was named after a brick beacon on the top of the ridge, and lies along the road from Corbie to Bray- sur-Somme. It was put into use in August 1918 and was extended after the war with graves from the battle field and from smaller cemeteries in the vicinity.

The entrance building is at right angles to the road, just as is the case in Heilly Station Cemetery. Looking through the building, one can see the War Stone and directly oppo- site the building is the Cross of Sacrifice. The building is virtually a mirror image of that in Tilloy British Cemetery, albeit that this building is slightly higher, with a different type of tile, and is not situated so close to the entrance. The combination of brickwork and white moulding of natural stone is characteristic of Lutyens’ architecture based on the Italian Renaissance. The building has five identical openings with semicircular arches – three in the long front walls and one in each of the two end walls. The ceiling inside is vaulted and of white stucco.

The ground is surrounded by a wall that is as high as the cordon of the shelter. The wall seems to slope down at the back of the cemetery, because the ground itself rises a little. At the front, the wall has lowered by means of an elegant arched step, opening up the cemetery towards the road. The building forms the main entrance to the cemetery. The oblique position of the road is not incorporated in the design, unlike Tilloy British Cemetery, for example.

The construction of the cemetery began relatively late, and this why the layout is very systematic and consequently regular. The graves face the War Stone on the east side. There is a broad central path with a seat and two intermediate paths on either side. The Cross is at the front opposite the entrance building, creating a forecourt in front of the cemetery proper.

There are eight large maple trees on three sides. Two stand beside the memorial stone, four opposite them in an alternating position, and two are on the short side. The large trees and the high wall give the cemetery a certain degree of intimacy. (Geurst, 2010, p.208)

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