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Memorial Guidelines

Headstone CleaningMemorials & Hadstones

Memorial Guidelines:

Cemeteries:

Each cemetery has their own rules and regulations regarding size of memorials allowed. We would be glad to guide you through your options to select a memorial which would be most suitable. You can find a large selection of memorials suitable for cemeteries in our brochure and photographs shown on our website, however you are not limited to these options.

Churchyards:

The Church of England Churchyards have set guidelines on the type of memorials permissible within the church grounds. We will guide you on options suitable for these areas to ensure your memorial falls within the regulations set out by the appropriate Diocesan. A breakdown of the church regulations in Devon has been set out below for your convenience. If the location falls under another Diocesan, we would be happy to guide you on their guidelines.

Headstone & Bases

1 – Upright headstones must be

  • no more than 4 ft high, 3 ft wide and no more than 6” thick. Slate memorials must be no less than 1 ½” thick.

In the case of infant burials, the headstone should be

  • no more than 15” wide x 33” (825 mm) high, measured from the surface of the ground
  • no less than 12” (300 mm) wide x 19” (475 mm) high, measured from the surface of the ground

2 – Horizontal ledgers or flat stones

  • Horizontal ledgers or flat stones, either flush with the turf or raised not more than 9” (225 mm) above a base, which must extend no less than 3” (75 mm) all round, and itself be flush with the turf or below turf level and must not be larger than 7 ft (2100 mm) by 3 ft (900 mm) overall, including the base.

3 – Base

  • A headstone may stand on a base of the same stone, which is to be an integral part of the design and does not project more than 8” (200 mm) in front of the headstone.

Materials

All memorials should be natural stone or British hardwood from a sustainable source. Permitted finishes are rustic, fine rubbed (eggshell/ honed), but not polished, i.e. highly polished so as to reflect images.

The following colours are not permitted: black or blue granites or grey granite darker than Rustenburg grey; nor white marble, synthetic stone or plastic. “Red” granite may be permissible where the church and neighbouring buildings are built of stone of a similar colour.

In the case of infant burials, if requested, white marble is permissible.

Designs

Memorials in the shape of a heart or book are not permitted.  Photographs, porcelain portraits, kerbs, railings, chains, chippings or glass shades are not permitted.

Cremation Stones

  • The stone is laid flat with the ground, where it does not exceed 18” (450 mm) square.
  • Some churchyards do stipulate different size stones and even small upright headstones; other designs are permissible in Churchyards which have a faculty.

Obtaining Permission

Before installing any memorial in a churchyard or cemetery, permission must be obtained from the Burial Authority. An application detailing the memorial design, size and wording must be submitted and approved prior to proceeding. Most burial grounds charge a fee for this application, and this varies from place to place. It is worth noting that most Burial Authorities will only allow an application from the named Deedholder. This may mean the Deed needs to be transferred to a living relative, the local council can assist you in this process. Our team will manage the application process and deal directly with the churchyard or cemetery authority on your behalf.

Contact Us

Speak to F.J Stevens & Sons today and call us on 01363 776816 or 07850 128 413 or fill in our contact form to make an enquiry.