Churchyards
Churchyards are special, not just because of those buried there, but as a setting for the church building and as an important habitat for many plants and animals. This page gives links to useful resources to make the most of the churchyard.
There are regulations about what can be introduced to a churchyard in terms of headstones, monuments and other memorials. If the proposed memorial is within the Churchyard Regulations set out by the Chancellor of the diocese, then the decision about whether it is allowed is delegated to the Parish Priest. If a proposed memorial is outside of the regulations, then a faculty has to be sought, for which there is a fee.
Before any memorial is ordered, please read the below churchyard regulations guidance.
This includes memorials for Cremated Remains areas as well.
Over time, some memorials can become loose and need to be repaired. Whilst the ground always belongs to the church, any memorial belongs to the family of the deceased, and it is their responsibility to maintain any memorial. Guidance about methods of topple testing can be found here:
CR1 form: This form is used when you want to introduce a monument into a churchyard.
Closed Churchyards
A churchyard which has no further room for burials may be formally closed by an order from the Ministry of Justice. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-close-a-churchyard. At that point, a PCC may transfer the responsibility of maintenance to either the Parish or District Council. For further information, talk with Steven.
If you are wanting to make the most of the churchyard, look at these resources from Caring for God’s Acre. https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/ Churchyards can be havens for wildlife.
Don’t clean lichen off monuments and other surfaces. Instead, learn about how important and beautiful they are: https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/