Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Statue of the Buddha in the main temple
Gadaladeniya Viharaya
McClellan Falls
McClellan Falls
Kraken Habitat
Skye Textile Mill
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Caru' cu Bere
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Inside the Rothko Chapel
These Monuments Showcase the Beauty of Brutalism
about 6 hours ago
Aerial view of Pulau Tiga
The Original ‘Survivor’ Island Changed Television Forever
about 23 hours ago
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Roaming among Assateague's feral island ponies
1 day ago
The main reading room of the Athenaeum.
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Literary Landmarks Across Providence
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Cambridge Madingley American Cemetery

Madingley American Cemetery

Vast fan-shaped British cemetery honouring American servicemen lost in World War II.

Cambridge, England

Added By
Anita
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The stunning arc of the gravestones is best appreciated from the platform   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cam...
The stunning arc of the gravestones is best appreciated from the platform   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cam...
Rectangular water features run alongside the memorial walls   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cam...
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
July 2023   DMStephenson / Atlas Obscura User
The memorial building, one of the glass panels with state seals.   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
Chapel   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Chapel   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The memorial building, built from Portland stone, s 85 feet long, 30 feet wide and 28 feet high.   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
Closeup of the gravestones   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The exceptionally beautiful Madingley American Cemetery can be found three miles outside the historic university town of Cambridge. Most impressive is the ordered design of the site: a visitor looking out from the flagpole platform, close to the cemetery's main entrance, can see thousands of white headstones arranged in a fan shape.

The limestone Wall of the Missing is segmented by four imposing statues representing different types of servicemen: a sailor, airman, coast guard and soldier. Ornate maps within the Memorial building commemorate the Normandy landings and an intricate mosaic shows aircraft flying towards the celestial kingdom.

The University of Cambridge donated the 30.5 acre site to honour Americans lost in the struggle against Nazi Germany. The United Kingdom had been a centre for allied operations during the Second World War, and many of those buried in Madingley belonged to US air force crews. The cemetery holds the remains of 3,812 dead soldiers, but the tablets flanking the site list over 5,000 lost in battle.

Related Tags

Catacombs And Crypts

Know Before You Go

The closest railway station is Cambridge. Drivers can reach the cemetery via the A1303 from Cambridge. The city sightseeing bus also passes this location. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Lunarsynthesis

Edited By

martinpooley68, Jaszmina Szendrey, SEANETTA, rbenn250...

  • martinpooley68
  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • SEANETTA
  • rbenn250
  • Gavin
  • Snowdrop68
  • DMStephenson

Published

June 26, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ca.php
  • http://www.madingleyamericancemetery.info
Madingley American Cemetery
Madingley Rd
Cambridge, England, CB23 7PH
United Kingdom
52.215992, 0.054652
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Fata Morgana Teahouse

Cambridge, England

miles away

Ascension Parish Burial Ground

Cambridge, England

miles away

Castle Mound

Cambridge, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cambridge

Cambridge

England

Places 15
Stories 9

Nearby Places

Fata Morgana Teahouse

Cambridge, England

miles away

Ascension Parish Burial Ground

Cambridge, England

miles away

Castle Mound

Cambridge, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cambridge

Cambridge

England

Places 15
Stories 9

Related Stories and Lists

Essential Guide: Cemeteries

essential guide

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • That Makmo.

    Luang Prabang, Laos

    That Pathum

    One-of-a-kind stupa in Laos.

  • The Crypt

    Lastingham, England

    Crypt of the Church of St. Mary

    Thought to be the oldest Norman crypt in the world.

  • One of the skeletons at St. Martins Church

    Aulendorf, Germany

    Skeletons of St. Martin Church

    Two elaborately decorated "catacomb saints" are displayed on either side of the altar in a small church in Germany.

  • Naples, Italy

    Church of Santa Maria la Nova

    Does this church in Naples hold the true tomb of Vlad the Impaler, the notoriously cruel figure who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula?

  • Milan, Italy

    Crypt of San Sepolcro

    Saint Borromeo often prayed in this austere crypt during the 16th century.

  • Paphos, Cyprus

    Agia Solomoni Catacomb

    Beneath an ancient wishing tree lies an underground chapel with 12th-century frescoes and catacombs dedicated to a lady saint.

  • The mummified remains of the vicar are visible from his glass encased coffin.

    St. Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria

    Luftg'selchter Pfarrer (The Air-Dried Priest)

    In a crypt underneath this church lies a naturally mummified vicar whose story is surrounded by mystery.

  • Crypt

    Mantua, Italy

    Crypt of San Sebastiano's Church

    Wander through a maze of empty tombs to find the poles used to hang revolutionary patriots.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.