Madingley American Cemetery – Cambridge, England - Atlas Obscura
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Madingley American Cemetery

Cambridge, England

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

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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...
The memorial building, built from Portland stone, s 85 feet long, 30 feet wide and 28 feet high. Gavin (Atlas Obscura User)
Closeup of the gravestones Jaszmina Szendrey (Atlas Obscura User)
The memorial building, one of the glass panels with state seals. Gavin (Atlas Obscura User)
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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.

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. 

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Fata Morgana Teahouse
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