Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial is a military burial ground located between the villages of Madingley and Coton, about 3 miles (5 km) west of Cambridge city center. The site covers open grassland marked by rows of white marble headstones, a long stone memorial building with a chapel, and a reflecting pool bordered by low hedges.

The site was dedicated in 1956 after the American government gathered remains from temporary burial grounds across Britain and northern Europe following World War II. It lies near former air bases in East Anglia from which thousands of American airmen flew missions between 1942 and 1945.

Visitors walk quietly among rows of white crosses and Stars of David, reading the engraved names and home states of those who fell in air and naval campaigns. The visitor center displays personal letters and photographs from families, giving individual stories behind the inscriptions.

The site is reached from Madingley Road, which connects Cambridge to the villages to the west, and has a small car park at the entrance. A paved path runs from the entrance through the grounds, making it easy for visitors with limited mobility to walk the main areas.

The names carved on the interior walls of the chapel belong to service members whose bodies were never recovered from the sea or battlefields. Flags of both England and the United States fly side by side at the entrance, raised to the same height.

Location: Cambridge

Architects: Perry Dean Rogers Architects

Official opening: 1956

Operator: American Battle Monuments Commission

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:00-17:00; January 1 off; December 25 off

Phone: +441954210350

Website: https://abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/cambridge-american-cemetery

GPS coordinates: 52.21610,0.05381

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:31