At the cemetery

You will have arranged a time with the cemetery for the burial. When you arrive at the cemetery at this pre-arranged time, you will be met by a member of staff at the entrance. This member of staff is there to assist and guide you, and also to ensure the burial takes place correctly. The cemetery staff have to complete statutory forms to say that the burial has taken place.

Service in the Chapel

You are welcome to hold a funeral service in any of our cemetery chapels. The chapels are used by those of varied faiths and cultures. Each chapel has CD and tape facilities, or if you prefer, you can have live music. You can place personal items in the chapel, for example scented candles or balloons. The cemetery staff can show you the chapel when you begin to make your arrangements. Please contact the Cemeteries Team for more information.

It is often assumed, wrongly, that you must have a Minister to officiate at a burial service. The service can be taken by anyone of your choice, for example a representative of your faith, by friends and family, or you can hold a silent service. As an alternative, you may wish to have a civil ceremony, and further information on this can be found on the Civil Ceremonies website.

Lowering of the coffin

You will need to have at least four people to assist you at the cemetery. They will need to be able to take the coffin from the vehicle, and to lower the coffin into the grave.

The cemetery will provide lowering webs, and a member of staff will be with you to offer advice and guidance.