This lecture will give a brief overview of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC) and look at its early horticultural inspiration for CWGC sites and their key features. It will also cover the differences to be found in planting across the globe and the challenges we face including those nearer to home.
The CWGC honours and cares for the men and women of the Commonwealth who died in the First and Second World Wars, ensuring they will never be forgotten. Funded by six Member Governments, our work began more than a century ago building cemeteries at 23,000 locations all over the world.
Our speaker is Elizabeth Smith, Public Engagement Coordinator for the North East of England. Elizabeth joined the Commission in March 2018 and since then has been working hard to promote the hundreds of cemeteries and memorials in the North East to the public.
The image below shows the CWGC plot at Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate. This site is one of only a handful in the UK which is directly maintained by the Commission and is therefore very similar to sites abroad.
The Commission’s Facebook page
CWGC North Group Supporters page - new members welcome
CWGC on Twitter
CWGC on Instagram
This talk and all our lectures are FREE for Friends of the Botanical Gardens to attend. Members of the public are also welcome to join us on payment of £5 at the door on the day. Live talks are held in the Education Centre in the grounds of the Botanical Gardens - easily accessed via the Thompson Road Entrance.