Ordering a memorial

Cemetery memorials

Lewisham Council does not provide memorials in cemeteries. For this service you need a stonemason. Contact us for a list of stonemasons.

A permit is required before any memorial can be erected on a grave. When you order a memorial through a stonemason they will apply for a permit on your behalf.

Crematorium memorials

Lewisham Crematorium offers cremation memorials.

A wide range of memorials are available in the crematorium grounds, including book of remembrance entries, kerb tablets, rose bushes, wall plaques, stem plates, leather panels, columbaria, interment options and memorial benches.

Please contact our crematorium memorial team on 020 8314 9631 to discuss your needs and request a brochure.

Once we have received your order, it can take up to three months for the memorial to be made. Book of remembrance entries can take up to a year, depending on the time the request is made.

Questions and answers

How can I order a memorial dedication?

You can request a brochure detailing memorial options by telephone, post, in person or by email. When you are ready to place a crematorium memorial dedication, you can either come with your order to the crematorium office or you can send it in the post.

Your order will be acknowledged with a receipt for the amount paid.

How do I arrange to have a memorial erected on a grave?

We will give you advice on the type of memorial permitted on your grave, but we do not provide memorials for the cemeteries. You will need to contact a stonemason. Please contact us and we will provide a list of stonemasons.

Once we receive a request for a permit to erect a memorial, we will check our records to ensure that the applicant is the holder of the Deeds of Rights of Burial. We will also check that the type of memorial requested is allowed on the plot in question.

If this is in order, we will then give the stonemason authority to proceed. If the memorial cannot be erected immediately we will put a date on the permit indicating when this can take place.

Can I erect a memorial on my grave immediately?

This will depend on whether the grave is on a lawn section or a full memorial section.

Memorials on lawn section graves can normally be erected as soon as required after the interment has taken place as there will normally be a beam in place to which the memorial can be fixed.

However, older sections of the cemetery may not have a beam and you would therefore need to wait for 12 months before the memorial can be erected. This also applies to grave on full memorial sections, as the ground requires time to settle.

You might also be interested in: 

• Memorial safety policy
• Paying for a funeral