Buying a grave

Normally, your funeral director will help to make the necessary arrangements for purchasing the Rights of Burial. Some people may want to make their own arrangements at the time of the funeral – you can organise this by contacting us directly and we will be happy to advise you.

If you would like to view the section of the cemetery where the burial is to take place before the funeral, we will arrange for a member of staff to meet with you on the site.

Who can buy Rights of Burial in the borough?

• people who live in the borough of Lewisham, or have lived in the borough for ten consecutive years of their adult life
• a Lewisham resident's parent, child or spouse who is arranging the burial of that resident (Rights of Burial must be purchased in the deceased's name)
• non-residents can purchase Rights of Burial in a Lewisham cemetery but must pay a non-resident fee, which is four times the fee for a resident
• grave owners wishing to inter a non-resident relative, other than a parent, spouse or child, will pay the non-resident interment fee.

After you have bought the burial rights, we will send you the deeds of Rights of Burial which lasts for 50 years. Keep the deeds in a safe place as you will need to produce them when arranging any future burials and we are unable to produce a copy.

How many burials can take place in a grave?

You will be asked at the time of the first interment how many interments you want the grave for. The maximum number of interments is four. However, depending on the ground conditions at the time of the first interment it is not always possible to achieve this depth.

Can cremated remains be buried in my grave?

Yes. Up to six cremated remains burials can take place in purchased graves, in addition to the number of full burials for which the plot was purchased.

A few graves specifically for cremated remains are available in our cemeteries, but the majority of our memorials for the burial or interment of cremated remains are in the crematorium grounds.

If I move out of the borough, am I still classed as a resident for burial purposes?

If you were a resident of the borough when you purchased the grave, or have lived in the borough for 10 consecutive years of your adult life, or you are the parent, child or spouse of a resident, then you will be classed as a resident.

Can the ownership of Rights of Burial be passed to someone else?

Yes. We will ask you to provide evidence to support the change of ownership of Rights of Burial before you will be recorded as the holder of the deeds, such as a transfer of ownership form signed by the grave owner, or if that person is deceased, grant of probate or letters of administration. A charge is made for this service.

What types of grave are available?

Traditional grave spaces

These allow the owner of the grave to put a full headstone and surround on the grave after burial. Memorials should not be placed on these graves until at least one year after burial. All memorials of this type must be built on a concrete base or ‘landing’.

Lawn-type graves

A headstone and vase plate only is permitted on these graves. One year after the burial, the grave is made level and grassed over. The headstone can have a marble or granite vase plate on which flowers or wreaths can be placed. So that we can maintain these areas, nothing else is allowed to be placed or grown on or around the grave and the area in front of the headstone is grassed over.

What type of memorial can I place on my grave?

If you purchase a traditional or ordinary plot, this is classed as a full memorial grave. A memorial with maximum dimensions of 5ft high x 6ft 6in long and no wider than the grave space can be placed on this grave.

If you purchase a lawn section grave, a headstone and vase plate only can be placed on this grave. The maximum dimensions for the headstone are 3ft high x 2ft 6in wide x 3in deep. A nine inch area in front of the vase plate can be planted, but nothing else is permitted on the grave. After approximately one year, depending on the season, the area in front of this grave will be turfed.

When can burials take place?

Burials can take place on any weekday, except on bank holidays. Special arrangements for burials at weekends can be made at an additional charge. Please talk to your funeral director or contact us to discuss any specific needs.

Are all the graves on consecrated ground?

No. But all of our cemeteries have consecrated and unconsecrated areas where you can buy graves. The consecrated ground is blessed as sacred by the Church of England. Unconsecrated areas include general burial plots for all other religions including Roman Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim.

What is the difference between unpurchased and purchased graves?

Unpurchased grave

An unpurchased grave, sometimes known as a public or common grave, is where the Right of Burial cannot be bought and we have total control of the grave. We will decide who will be buried in the grave and this might not be members of the same family. Agreement to place a memorial must be sought from the cemetery manager and then the memorial may only remain for a period of 15 years. If approval is given, a small headstone or marker is permitted on the grave for that period.

Purchased grave

A purchased grave is where the Right of Burial can be bought for a period of 50 years, with an option of renewal at 10 year intervals or at the end of the 50 years (the maximum period that can be purchased is 50 years). The owner/s of the Right of Burial can decide who will be buried in the grave and memorials are allowed in line with the cemetery regulations.