East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford

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 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 entrance gates on Barnstaple Road with the chapel to the right

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 winners of the Victoria Cross:

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

References
  1. East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford - A history of East-the-Water
  2. CWGC burials at East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford
  3. Commonwealth War Graves Bideford Church Cemetery - Traces of War website
  4. George Nicholas Channer VC on the 'Memorials to Valour' website
  5. Grave Location of Holders of the Victoria Cross in the County of Devonshire
  6. Gerald Graham VC on the 'Memorials to Valour' website

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