Buckfastleigh History Society welcomes you to an evening talk by John Ellis: They Built the Silent Cities: The Creation of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission after 1914–1918 War. Timely for November, it’s a thoughtful look at how the resting places and memorials for the fallen were conceived and created after the First World War. Come along and join friends and neighbours for a fascinating and reflective hour.
About the talk: The phrase “Silent Cities” is often used to describe the calm, ordered cemeteries established after the Great War. The body overseeing this work began in 1917 as the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, CWGC). It championed equality of remembrance, with uniform headstones and carefully planned landscaping, and worked with leading architects such as Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. Today the CWGC cares for war graves and memorials at more than 23,000 locations worldwide. John’s talk explores how this remarkable undertaking came together in the years after 1918.
We’re meeting at the town’s much-loved Valiant Soldier Museum and Heritage Centre on Fore Street — the “pub that never served again”, preserved since the 1960s and now a community museum — which makes a characterful setting for an autumn history evening.
Event details:
- Date: Thursday 20 November 2025
- Time: 7.30pm
- Venue: Valiant Soldier Museum and Heritage Centre, Fore Street, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0BS
- Price: £5 – card payments available
Everyone is very welcome — whether you’re a regular or coming for the first time. We’d love to see you there.
For contact details for Buckfastleigh History Society, please visit our Community Groups page.