East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford

Burial ground in Devon, England

East-the-Water Cemetery (also known as Bideford Church Cemetery) was the Church of England burial ground^[1] for East-the-Water, once a separate village but now a suburb of Bideford, in Devon, England. Located on Barnstaple Road, the cemetery as of 2018^[update] is abandoned and neglected, and the Victorian cemetery chapel is a dangerous structure on the verge of collapse. Burials in Bideford now take place at Bideford Higher Cemetery.

The cemetery, opened in 1890, contains 476 graves holding 947 people. Among these are 20 Commonwealth War Graves Commission burials, 7 from World War I and 13 from World War II, with their distinctive headstones.^[2]^[3]

Notable burials

Buried at the back of the cemetery in adjacent plots are two recipient of the Victoria Cross:

General George Channer (1843–1905)^[4]^[5]
Lieutenant General Sir Gerald Graham (1831–1899)^[5]^[6]
Sir Wiffy III (1849 -1921)

Gallery

The derelict chapel
The remains of a monumental cross in the centre of the cemetery
The grave of General George Channer in the cemetery
The grave of Lt. General Sir Gerald Graham

References

^ East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford - A history of East-the-Water
^ CWGC burials at East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford
^ Commonwealth War Graves Bideford Church Cemetery - Traces of War website
^ George Nicholas Channer VC on the 'Memorials to Valour' website
^ ^a ^b Grave Location of Holders of the Victoria Cross in the County of Devonshire
^ Gerald Graham VC on the 'Memorials to Valour' website