Burial

Some authorities have introduced a wide range of graves to give people as many options as possible when arranging the burial of a loved one. For many, the lawn grave is considered to be the best option but for others a more traditional, elaborate and larger type of memorial is preferred. Burial above ground in a Catacomb is available at some cemeteries as are vaults, brick graves and mausolea.

No. Graves cannot be opened without the permission in writing of the registered owner of the grave. The only exception to this is where the burial is to be that of the registered owner, in which case no written authority is required. The law protects your rights as registered owner of the grave.

Graves are prepared for burial at least one full day before the funeral and are covered overnight. The ICCM Guiding Principles for Burial Services states that immediately after the mourners have departed the graveside, the grave shall be entirely backfilled and made tidy. This work is completed on the day of the burial and coffins must not be left uncovered overnight.

Some cultures require that the grave is filled in while the family watch or they may wish to undertake the backfilling of the grave themselves. When families request this it is essential that the cemetery is made aware of their requirements when the burial is first arranged. This will ensure that the family’s wishes are met and that their safety is protected during the backfilling process.

Yes, but the cemetery will need to be advised of this before the funeral takes place so that they are prepared.

Graves have to be dug to a sufficient depth to allow for future burials to take place. Therefore the grave needs to be deep enough to allow not only for the depth of coffins/caskets that will be buried but also to accommodate legal requirements of undisturbed earth which must be between each coffin and the amount of earth that must cover the last interment.

When a grave is purchased to take two full body burials, the depth to which the grave is excavated for the first burial must take into account the need for the second burial. There are legal requirements as to how much earth must be left on top of the last coffin, and it is therefore not physically possible to put an extra coffin into the grave without breaking the law. However, after the grave is full for coffined burials, cremated remains caskets or urns may still be buried within the grave.

In cemeteries where continuous concrete foundations have been laid, memorials can be erected on lawn graves almost immediately. In cemeteries where the headstone is erected directly on the excavated area of the grave there may be a period stipulated in the cemetery regulations which gives the ground time to settle. During this period the cemetery staff should monitor any sinking that becomes apparent and will top up with topsoil until settlement ceases.

The lawn grave was designed on the war grave principle (to have only a memorial of limited size at the head of the grave with the rest of the grave laid to lawn). In this manner the limited area available for burial is best utilised. In addition, maintenance is easier to accomplish with large mowing machinery being used to keep the area in a neat condition. These graves are sold on the understanding that only lawn style memorials are erected. Full memorials are only permitted on Traditional graves. Care must be taken when selecting the type of grave. If you would prefer a larger, more traditional type memorial you should not opt for a lawn grave.

Prior to a memorial being erected on a grave space, the written authority of the owner of the grave must be given on a permit/application form, requesting the proposed erection of the memorial. Memorials need to conform to cemetery/churchyard regulations with regard to size and fixings, and the memorial also needs to be checked for stability under health and safety regulations. The cemetery staff need to check that the memorial conforms to regulations and will be erected in a safe manner. To a certain extent this helps protect your interests although you will remain responsible for the maintenance of the memorial in the future.