Lone Tree Cemetery

• Country Belgium
• Total identified casualties 79 Find these casualties
• Region West-Vlaanderen
• Identified casualties from First World War
• GPS Coordinates Latitude: 50.77468, Longitude: 2.86191

Location information

Lone Tree Cemetery (Spanbroekmolen) is located 8.5 kilometres 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 village of Wijtschate the first right hand turning leads onto Hospicestraat which leads onto the village square. Leave the village square following signs for Kemmel along Wijtschatestraat. After 2 kilometres turn left onto Kruisstraat. The cemetery lies 1 kilometre along the Kruisstraat on the right hand side of the road and is located at the rear of a farm.

Visiting information

ARRIVAL

The route to the cemetery is signposted.

PARKING

It is possible to park two vehicles on the hard standing area approximately 20 metres from the pathway leading to the cemetery, at the edge of the road (Kruistraat)

There is a signposted and marked gate 20 metres from the parking layby to access the cemetery. A wooden gate opens inwards by pushing on the right-hand side. A concrete pathway, approximately 800 mm wide and bound on either side by a narrow grass verge and barbed wire fencing leads across a farm down to a second wooden gate near the entrance to cemetery.

This gate is opened by lifting a lever latch on the left side of the gate. This gate opens outwards. Both gates are approximately 900 mm wide.

ACCESS LAYOUT AND MAIN ENTRANCE

The cemetery is surrounded by a brick and stone wall, next to a wooded copse. Part of the boundary is a hedge approximately 1.8 metres high.

Once through the second wooden gate, a concrete path winds to the main entrance gate of the cemetery.

There is paving level with the concrete path in front of the gate. A curved step, approximately 150 mm high is in front of the main gate. The main gate, black painted metal, is 90 centimetres wide, mid-level, (thigh height) with a twist and turn latched handle on the top left corner of the gate. The gate opens inwards into the cemetery, with paving under the gate and level with the curved step and the grass inside the cemetery.

The Cross of Sacrifice is just inside the entrance gate.

The is no Register Box or seating in the cemetery.

All the internal cemetery paths are grass, the ground is flat and firm.

ALTERNATIVE ACCESS

There is no alternative access into the cemetery.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The cemetery is permanently open.

History information

Lone Tree Cemetery is close to the Lone Tree Crater, one of the nineteen which were made immediately before the infantry attack at the Battle of Messines in June 1917. Nearly all the graves in the cemetery are those of soldiers who fell on the first day of the battle.

The cemetery contains 88 First World War burials.

The cemetery was designed by J R Truelove.