We know that funerals are a very important time in people’s lives. As a result, we will do our utmost to support you before, during and after a funeral.
All are welcome to have a funeral service regardless of whether or not they went to church.
A Church of England funeral doesn’t have to be in a church – though it can be. The church minister can lead the whole funeral service in a different place, such as a crematorium, or, a church service can be built into part of the day, wherever the funeral takes place. We can be wherever you need us to be.
It is usual practice for families to approach a funeral director prior to contacting the church. This link https://churchofenglandfunerals.org/organising-funeral/first-steps-organising-funeral/ offers a useful guide to the first steps in arranging a funeral service.
This link https://churchofenglandfunerals.org/stepbystep/ provides a guide to the structure of a funeral service. There are plenty of opportunities to personalise the service for your loved one.
Churchyards
All three of our churches have open churchyards, which means they have space for both burials and interment of ashes. St Mary’s is also adjacent to the parish burial ground which is owned, maintained and administered by Shawbury Parish Council – please note that this means the regulations will be slightly different.
There are a number of rules covering churchyards, most of which can be found in the Chancellor’s churchyard regulations. A copy of these can be found by visiting the Diocese of Lichfield website (www.lichfield.anglican.org) and typing “churchyard regulations” within the search function. The guidelines are designed to assist both those who choose to have loved ones buried in our churchyards and those who visit the graves.
Below is a simplified guide to the churchyard regulations. We hope that this information is helpful and that it will prevent any misunderstanding that may be caused by the various rules and regulations that govern Church of England graveyards. However, we encourage you to ensure that you are familiar with the full regulations.
Churchyards exist for the benefit of all. They are beautiful and sacred places which are clearly important to the local community and to those who have loved ones buried there.
There are clear regulations, produced by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Lichfield, to ensure that churchyards remain a fitting and safe place for people to visit and pay their respects.
All three of the churches in our benefice have open churchyards, which means they have space for both burials and interment of ashes. St Mary’s is also adjacent to the parish burial ground which is owned, maintained and administered by Shawbury Parish Council – please note that this means the regulations will be slightly different.
The information within this leaflet is designed to help you get to grips with what is (and is not) permitted within our churchyards.
Can I buy/reserve a grave plot? Can our family all be buried in the same grave?
In a municipal (council) cemetery, the grave is bought and owned by the family and a grave deed is issued. This is not the case in a Church of England churchyard, where the graves are owned by the Church, with the Vicar/Rector of the parish acting on its behalf.
Anyone who is resident in the parish at the time of their death is entitled to be buried in the churchyard and so we cannot reserve plots for future use.
Graves can be dug deep enough for up to three burials. In addition, we are usually able to arrange for a limited number of interments of ashes on the site of an existing grave. The scattering of ashes on the surface of the ground is not allowed.
Plots solely for the burial of ashes are also available. They can accommodate more than one set of ashes.
When can I get a headstone erected?
It is normal for the soil level to take a while to settle after a burial. The grave will, in due course, be allowed to grass over. In order to give memorial stones a solid foundation, no memorials may be erected for 6 months following a burial. No permission will be granted until the six month period has passed.
Can I have the headstone of my choosing?
There are certain regulations and guidelines about what memorials are permitted. These are not made by the Vicar or officers of the parish, but by the Chancellor of the Diocese, the Bishop’s Chief Legal Officer. They relate to the size and shape of memorials, the materials they can be made of, the details of the inscriptions (and additional inscriptions) and any other design features, such as carvings or pictures.
The main purpose of these regulations is to try and ensure that the graveyard has a harmonious appearance and retains an essentially Christian nature, reflecting the resurrection hope we have in Jesus Christ.
Local stone masons are aware of these guidelines and should be able to help you with your choices, prior to obtaining written permission from the Vicar/Rector.
Kerbstones or other surroundings to a grave are not permitted. Although popular a hundred or more years ago when graveyards were tended by hand, they make it difficult for us to maintain the grass. Stone chippings are often scattered by birds and animals, which looks unsightly and turns them into missiles when they come in contact with a mower blade or a strimmer!
The existence of a memorial in the graveyard which does not conform to these guidelines does not mean that a similar memorial will be approved. These memorials were erected prior to the regulations coming into force and to some extent were the reason why they are necessary.
Before you agree to the design or place any memorial on a grave, you must have permission from the Vicar/Rector. There is a formal application process, which your chosen stonemason will know about and help you to complete. There is also a statutory fee, set annually by the Church of England Commissioners.
If requests are made for memorials which do not conform to the guidelines, the vicar does not have the authority to agree to them. Some minor differences can be referred by the Vicar/Rector to the Archdeacon of Salop but for anything which differs substantially there is a formal process, called a Faculty, by which you can request an exemption from the Chancellor. There is a statutory charge (of more than £300) for this and it is unlikely that such requests will be granted.
What if I want to add to a memorial, or replace it?
No changes are permitted without going through the same application process already mentioned. The fee for addition to an existing memorial is smaller.
Can we leave items on our loved one’s grave?
We are pleased that people carefully tend family graves, but there are restrictions on what may be left.
Unlike in some municipal cemeteries, trinkets, ornaments, vases, statuettes and flowerpots are not permitted within the churchyard, as they are not in keeping with the natural surroundings of a churchyard. Any such items that are placed will be removed as soon as they are spotted.
St Mary’s have made an exception to this rule regarding a particular design of flowerpot (with a rosebowl top), but these must be agreed with the Vicar prior to placement.
Artificial flowers and wreaths are not permitted. The exception to this is that wreaths are permitted at Christmas, Remembrance Sunday and anniversaries of death. These must then be removed within one month. Items still remaining after this point will be removed by authorised representatives of the PCC.
The planting of trees, shrubs, bushes or bulbs is also not permitted.
Who is responsible for care of my loved one’s grave?
The PCCs (church councils) take responsibility for our churchyards. The cost of maintaining our churchyards to the same standard as municipal cemeteries is prohibitive and so we do the best we can, which is to undertake regular maintenance to keep it as safe as we can and to ensure the main pathways are clear. The churches arrange for contractors to mow and strim around existing graves on a regular basis.
In the south east corner of St Mary’s Churchyard where the oldest graves are, the PCC has made a decision to cut the grass just once a year, to encourage and support wildlife.
Memorials remain the property of the person who paid to have it erected or his or her immediate family. Their upkeep is the responsibility of the owner (but please note the information above regarding making changes to a memorial). If no family exists, the Church will assume responsibility for ensuring that gravestones are safe, by lying them down if they become unstable.
I still have questions…
If you require clarification on any matter relating to our churchyards, please contact us.
