The largest Commonwealth military cemetery in the world is called Tyne Cot, and is a 10minute drive (or 2hour walk) from the centre of Ypres in Belgium. In 1917 however it took months of battling in horrendous weather for the allies to reach here. The area (once a barn surrounded by block houses) was named by the British and was the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.
They were literally fighting over yards during one of the largest battles of the First World War, which helps why explain this area took decades to be cleaned, restored and recover from the war. It may look peaceful and beautiful these days, but there was absolutely nothing remaining here after the war, and the land was unrecognisable even to those who lived and worked here before the outbreak of war. If you would like to learn more about the impact on land visit Denzil’s post.
