Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery and Extension

Description

During the entire war, the extension of the municipal cemetery was used by battle units, field ambulances and a Casualty Clearing Station. The cemetery consists of two parts that are linked by a plateau to the War Stone.

The first part lies in front of the communal cemetery. The entrance to the civil cemetery leads across the British part, whereas it is mostly the other way around. Behind this part, the extension has been realized in an elongated strip across the full depth of the cemetery. Adjoining this, the civil part has again been extended. The British section does not have its own entrance but it does have a gate between two gate pillars in the cemetery wall, which is further completely solid. This enables visitors to see at the cemetery from the road.

The plateau with the War Stone stands on the intersection of the axes connecting the two parts. Necessarily, the War Stone has been erected on the west side of the graves already in place. The second axis lies in the longitudinal direction of the War Stone and leads to the Cross of Sacrifice, which stands completely at the rear of the cemetery. The first field consists of long rows with headstones. Flanking the main entrance to the cemetery the rows have been turned ninety degrees. Occasionally the stones are situated behind one another because too many graves have been accommodated in one row. At other places there are communal headstones. The second field is an elongated field with three rows of graves.

The plateau has four steps whose width corresponds with the lowest step of the pedestal of the War Stone. An extra stairway between two brick flower boxes has been added at the second-field side. On the plateau, the stairs are connected to the War Stone by a play of lines in bands of stone. Two shelters are located behind the War Stone and these are linked to a seat by means of a curved wall. Motifs of the temple and the arch of triumph are united in the architecture of the shelters. This type of building was implemented by Lutyens at various cemeteries with various materials. The sections of wall that protrude above the plane of the roof and reinforce the idea of overlapping volumes form a conspicuous feature here. On the second field, there are trees on either side and a hedge. On the first field, one side of the civil cemetery is separated by a hedge. (Geurst, 2010, p.372)

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