Buttes New British Cemetery Memorial

Buttes New British Cemetery Memorial is a memorial site in Zonnebeke featuring white stone walls inscribed with the names of 378 New Zealand soldiers. These names commemorate those who died in the Polygon Wood sector during World War I.

New Zealand Division soldiers fought in the Polygon Wood area from September 1917 to May 1918 and suffered heavy losses during the campaigns. The memorial was later created to honor those missing soldiers with no known grave.

The site takes its name from a rise where Belgian cavalry once trained before soldiers fell here. Visitors encounter a quiet memorial space where the place's purpose and meaning shifted permanently.

The memorial is accessible from sunrise to sunset, with interpretive panels on the grounds explaining the historical background. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and allow time to walk among the stone walls and read the inscribed names.

The grounds were originally a Belgian cavalry racecourse before being repurposed as a military training facility during the war. This unexpected past still shapes how the landscape and paths are laid out today.

Location: Zonnebeke

Architects: Charles Holden

Part of: Buttes New British Cemetery

Website: https://cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/166200/buttes-new-british-cemetery-(n.z.)-memorial,-polygon-wood

GPS coordinates: 50.85560,2.99141

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:00