A typical cemetery is surrounded by a low wall or hedge and with a wrought @-@ iron gate entrance . For cemeteries in France and Belgium , a land tablet near the entrance or along a wall identifies the cemetery grounds as having been provided by the French or Belgian governments . All but the smallest cemeteries contain a register with an inventory of the burials , a plan of the plots and rows , and a basic history of the cemetery . The register is located within a metal cupboard that is marked with a cross located in either the wall near the cemetery entrance or in a shelter within the cemetery . More recently , in larger sites , a stainless steel notice gives details of the respective military campaign . The headstones within the cemetery are of a uniform size and design and mark plots of equal size .