During the First World War, some 6,000 Belgians lived in Birtley opposite what is now Windsor Road and Mary Avenue.
The area was called Elisabethville, named after the Belgian Queen. It featured its own school, shops, garage, cinema, hospital and the ammunition factory, the National Projectile Factory of Birtley where the Belgian people were brought to work.
While the majority returned to Belgian post 1918, some stayed, having started relationships or families and spent the rest of their lives in England.
The Birtley-Elisabethville Roman Catholic Cemetery, in the parish of St Joseph’s, remains a central point of remembrance. There are sixty Birtley Belgians buried here: military men and civilians: fathers, mothers, children. While the headstones for 13 Belgian soldiers are very visible, external features of civilian graves – often no more than a simple wooden cross – have long gone.
On Saturday 12th September 2026, a Blue Plaque was unveiled to honour the site and those that rest here. Fr Martin Wheaton of St Joseph’s blessed the site that has become an annual pilgrimage for many across the UK and Europe – all with fascinating stories to tell and photographs to share.
The project is a collaboration between Gateshead City Council, the Parish of St. Joseph’s and the Birtley Heritage Group. We thank all for the role they have played in marking an unique part of our Diocesan history.
