Gravespaces

A parishioner has a right to be buried or interred in the churchyard of the parish in which he or she resides, provided that it has not been closed for burials by Order in Council, and provided that there is still available space.

However, a parishioner does not have a right to be buried in a particular place, which is a matter for the Minister to decide at his or her sole discretion. Anyone wishing to be buried in a particular place in a churchyard can only acquire a right to be buried there by obtaining a Faculty to authorize the reservation of an exclusive right of burial in a particular grave.

There is a special Petition form to apply for a Faculty to reserve a grave space or cremation plot, available from the Diocesan Registrar’s office.

The applicant should complete the application only after consultation with the minister or churchwarden.

A fee is payable on lodging the Petition. The fee is in line with The Ecclesiastical Judges, Legal Officers and Others (Fees) Order which is updated each January.  The appropriate fee is the fee applicable at the time when the Petition is lodged in the Registry, not when the Faculty is granted.

Public Notices are to be published at the church and in the churchyard, to give notice of the application to other parishioners and an opportunity for  any objections.  The notices have to be displayed for 28 days and then signed and returned to the Registry by the Incumbent or churchwarden.  The PCC also need to provide supporting documents such as written consents to the application, churchyard plans and an estimate of the available space.

Once all documents are received the application will be submitted to the Chancellor of the Diocese, who will confirm if a Faculty can be granted.

A donation may be payable to the Parochial Church Council where a grave space or cremation plot are reserved to cover future maintenance of the reserved plot.  Applicants should discuss this with the Incumbent or churchwarden before submitting their application.

Where close family members, for example husband and wife, desire to be buried together, they may either (a) make one application for the right for both to be buried in the same grave, in which case only one set of fees is payable, or (b) make separate applications for the reservation of two adjoining grave spaces, in which case two applications and two fees are required.

The following links may be helpful:

Diocese of Guildford Churchyard Regulations
Diocese of Norwich Churchyard Regulations
Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Church Regulations
Guidance on Cremated Remains and Plaques