La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery
- Country Belgium
- Total identified casualties 349 Find these casualties
- Region Hainaut
- Identified casualties from First World War
- GPS Coordinates Latitude: 50.75293, Longitude: 2.86468
Location information
La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery is located 10.5 Kms south of Ieper town centre on a road leading from the Rijselseweg (N365) which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. On reaching the town of Mesen the first right hand turning leads onto the Nieuwkerkestraat (N314). 2 Kms along the Nieuwkerkestraat lies the left hand turning onto Plus Douve. The cemetery lies 800 metres along the Plus Douves on the right hand side of the unsurfaced road beyond the farm. The unsurfaced road is used by Heavy Goods Vehicles to service the farm and should not be obstructed.
Visiting information
ARRIVAL
The cemetery is located within agricultural fields. There is a single lane gravel track off Rue du Rossignol leading north to a farm just south of Ration Farm (La Plus Douve) Military Cemetery.
PARKING
It is possible to park at the side of a single lane track which follows a route from the main road to the farmyard adjacent to the cemetery. The track is a main access route for the farm, parking is approximately 10 metres from the entrances.
The ground is firm and flat with a gravel and compacted earth surface.
ACCESS LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE
The cemetery has a ditch along the front wall adjacent to the farm track. Access into the cemetery requires crossing over the ditch on a stone-paved bridge, which is not bound on either side of the ditch.
The main entrance has a stone paved area in front of the main gate (part of the bridge). The gate is a 1.50 metre wide, mid-level, (thigh height) black, metal, double sided gate. The right-side gate has a lever latch at the top of the gate. The left side section is opened by a vertical latch at the bottom of the gate. Both sections open inwards into the cemetery. Paving under the gate is level with the grass inside the cemetery. There is a small metal gate stopper in the centre of the entrance, visible when both gates are open.
The Register Box is inside the main entrance gate and mounted into the pillar on the left side.
The cemetery is on 2 levels; the lower level is the burial ground.
The Cross of Sacrifice is on the upper level, in front of the entrance. Behind are three stone steps leading down to the lower-level burial area. On either side of the platform are additional steps leading down to the burial area, with paved pathways leading to brick and stone benches built into the walls at either side of the site.
There is a brick shelter towards the bottom left corner of the cemetery, with a stone bench located inside the shelter. There is a dirt strip, 75 mm wide between the grass and the raised paving in the shelter, 100 mm higher than the grass.
The internal paths are grass, the ground is flat and firm.
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS
On the left-hand side at the front of the cemetery is a second and unrestricted access entrance. There is a grass covered bridge crossing over the ditch along the front of the site, edged with brick kerbstones, and leads to a gap in the wall, 1.75 metres wide which opens into the cemetery.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The cemetery is permanently open.
History information
In the valley of the river Douve, north of Ploegsteert Wood, were two farms. La Petite Douve was the object of a successful raid by the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion in November 1915 and La Plus Douve, which was generally within the Allied lines, was used at times as a battalion headquarters. It was also known as Ration Farm because battalion transport could approach it at night with rations.
La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery was begun in April 1915 by the 48th (South Midland) Division and continued in use until May 1918, when it fell into German hands.
The cemetery contains 336 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.
The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.