Graves for full earth burials and cremated remains are available in six of our cemeteries.
Grave types offered are lawn graves, with a memorial of limited size at the head of the grave and the rest of the grave laid to lawn. No edgings are allowed around graves as they restrict the opening of the grave and pose a hazard to visitors and staff.
Cremated remains graves are smaller in length than traditional graves, but can have a full sized headstone the same as a lawn grave.
Buying a grave
When you buy a grave you don’t actually own the land, you buy the Exclusive Rights of Burial in that particular space, which means you're the only person who can authorise a burial in that grave.
Graves in most cemeteries are for 2-3 burials (some areas may be restricted to 2). Buying a grave includes the option to have cremated remains buried in the top portion of the grave.
All grave rights are for a fixed period of time. We will offer you the option to extend the lease so that it is always in the control of you or someone you transfer the ownership to – see burial rights.
Capacity of the grave
Graves can be for a maximum of three full earth burials, depending on ground conditions in the cemetery. The depth has to be determined with the first burial.
In a dedicated cremation plot, designed solely for cremated remains, ten caskets can be interred. In a burial plot, it will depend on how many coffins have previously been buried in the grave.
Graves are usually prepared for burial at least one full day before the funeral and are covered overnight. On the day of the burial, after the mourners have departed, the grave is filled immediately and made tidy. The grave will then settle in line with weather conditions, it will then be topped up where necessary and grass seed planted.
Where the grave capacity has reached its limit e.g. three burials have taken place, you cannot request an extra burial. Legal requirements specify how much earth must be left on top of a coffin, therefore it’s not possible to put an extra coffin into the grave without breaking the law. However, even if the grave is ‘full’, additional cremated remains can also be buried in the grave.
Access to graves
As part of the normal process of digging a grave for a funeral, it is necessary to place a soil box on adjacent graves. This is so that the soil removed for the funeral is returned to the same grave once the burial has taken place.
We minimise the length of time soil boxes are placed on graves to reduce the impact on the visiting families of adjacent graves. We apologise for any distress this may cause.
Cultural or religious requests
Some cultures require that the grave is filled in while the family watch or they may wish to undertake the filling of the grave themselves.
If this is something you require, it is essential that you make the cemetery aware of your wishes when the burial is first arranged. This will ensure that we can meet your request and that your safety is protected during the process.