Churchyard headstones and memorials

A churchyard is a place of history and remembrance, and is special to residents, visitors and families of those buried there. It is also frequently a rare conservation area and a place of natural beauty, home to diverse species of plants and wildlife. In all cases, they deserve our protection. As a result, there are regulations that help to maintain that protection, and rules set by the Church of England set out below. 

Note that sometimes in the recent or distant past, for exceptional reasons or through an oversight, a headstone or memorial has been installed which does not conform to these rules. This does not create a precedent for future headstones or memorials, which must conform to the rules below.

Please see rule 11 below, and be aware that where a headstone or memorial has become unsafe, it may be made safe, for example by laying it down on the ground. Similarly, glass, metal and other objects may be removed from graves where there is a risk that they may become dislodged or broken (such as when the churchyard is mown or strimmed) and be a danger to people working or visiting the churchyard.

Rules

1. Headstones (including any plinth) shall be no more than 1200mm (4 feet) high above ground, 900mm (3 feet) wide and 180mm (7 inches) thick and no less than 750mm (2 feet 6 inches) high above ground, 500mm (1 foot 8 inches) wide and 75mm (3 inches) thick, and shall not be erected within 1200mm (4 feet) of the outer wall of the church. The stone should preferably be sunk without any plinth having one-third of its total length below ground level. Alternatively, the headstone may be securely fixed below the level of the turf to a ground anchorage complying with British Standard 8415 or giving an equivalent degree of stability.

2. Crosses no more than 1200mm (4 feet) high above ground are acceptable.

3. Horizontal ledgers (over burials) shall be just below the level of the turf and measure not more than 2100mm (7 feet) x 900mm (3 feet) nor less than 1200mm (4 feet) x 600mm (2 feet).

4. Memorial plaques over cremated remains shall be just below the level of the turf and measure not more than 450mm (18 inches) x 400mm (16 inches).

5. Vases shall be separate – measuring not more than 300mm x 200mm x 200mm (12 inches x 8 inches x 8 inches)

6. Monuments may be of natural wood or natural stone. Stones traditionally used in local buildings or closely similar to them in colour and texture are appropriate.

7. Stone shall not be polished or reflective.

8. Black and pearl granite, marble of any colour, synthetic stone and plastic shall not be permitted.

9. A monument shall not include any raised kerb, railings, stone or other chippings, picture or photograph, built-in vase container, statuary or bird bath. All monuments shall be simple in shape. No colour shall be introduced except black, white, silver or gold.

10. No advertisement or trade-mark shall be inscribed on the monument, but the name of the mason may be incised at the side or on the reverse of a headstone in unpainted and unleaded letters no more than 13mm in height.

11. Responsibility for the safe installation of any memorial rests with the monumental mason. The person who purchased the memorial and, after that person’s death, the heirs of the deceased have an ongoing liability for its maintenance in a safe condition.