The Differences between
Churchyards and Cemeteries
Written by: Annissa
Published: 1st October 2025
You can commission a piece to remember someone and site it anywhere with the relevant permissions (including your home or garden). Assuming, however, that you are arranging a memorial to be sited where the person is interred, and this is a churchyard, cemetery, or burial ground, there will be regulations to follow. Here we explain some of these, as well as some other key pieces of information about the different places where someone can be buried.
Churchyards
A churchyard is the responsibility of the minister who is attached to the church it belongs to (called the Incumbent) and a proposed design for a memorial requires their approval. Groups of churches, called Dioceses, will each have rules about what is permitted in churchyards. While some Incumbents might allow minor deviations from these, the rules should be obeyed as far as possible.
When someone is buried in a Churchyard, the church retains the ownership of the land. Dioceses consider churchyards to be public places and so memorials sited within them must reflect this. They are not simply a monument to a person who has died, but part of the fabric of the place, intended to last for many years. Churchyard regulations are developed with this fact in mind; intended to provide a consistent overall impression rather than each memorial standing out from others.
Regulations vary across different Dioceses. J.Gumbrill mostly works across Chichester and Guildford Dioceses, but, as we travel further afield when required, part of our comprehensive service will be to research permitted materials, lettering styles and so on to ensure the proposed design aligns with them.
Some general rules which apply to many churchyards are:
- Material. There is a preference of stone types for sandstones, limestones and slate. Dark granites or polished surfaces are usually not permitted.
- Shape. Memorials in the shape of books or hearts, or those with kerb surrounds are often not allowed, as they can hinder maintenance as well as being more prominent than other, more traditional styles.
- Size. Churchyards need to be maintained and other graves accessed. Limiting the dimensions allows for this.
- Lettering. Some Dioceses will only allow certain colours, usually more muted tones to ensure consistency across the churchyard.
- Ornamentation. There might be restrictions on the type of carving allowed. Some Dioceses might allow natural images such as flowers, some may not.
- Wording. Churches discourage pet names and referring to relationships (such as someone being ‘a much-loved mum’). Quotes should be religious or classical in tone.
Churchyards may also have rules about whether bases can contain an integral flower container, whether you are allowed a separate flower vase, and they will probably prohibit the placing of commemorative items such as statues within the vicinity.
Diocesan rules can change; it is not unusual for something that was once permitted to be disallowed when regulations are updated. If, for example, black lettering stops being permitted, existing headstones’ lettering will be able to be repainted in black, and an additional inscription will be allowed in black to match, but no new memorials with black lettering will be permitted.
You can apply for a Faculty, which gives permission for a one-off variation of the regulations (for example to have a headstone in a shape not permitted). This can be a lengthy process which costs money, and success is not guaranteed. At J.Gumbrill, if we know you are seeking permission for a memorial outside the regulatory scope, we will be happy to help with supporting documents such as drawings but will not commence work until we know your application has been successful.
Cemeteries and Burial Grounds
Cemeteries and Burial Grounds vary enormously, ranging from small areas in villages to large municipal sites. Most are operated by district, borough, city, town or parish councils (who are referred to as the Burial Authority for the location concerned) and are intended to provide burial places for residents of that area- although there are also some privately-operated burial places- including natural or ‘green’ burial grounds.
Unlike churchyards, you ‘buy’ a plot in these locations, and this entitles you to own the small piece of land often called a grave space. In fact, there will probably be several fees to pay over time:
- Purchase fee, granting ownership of the grave space;
- Interment fee, for the costs of burial;
- Memorial permit fee, allowing a headstone to be placed on the plot.
Subsequent interments and additions to memorials usually incur charges so it is not unusual to pay five fees in a situation where there are two burials with a headstone installed after the first and updated after the second. There may be further fees for different types of monuments or if the ownership of the grave has to be transferred.
Like Dioceses, Burial Authorities set rules and regulations which must be considered when planning the design of a memorial. However, these are usually less prescriptive than in churchyards and often only relate to the proposed memorial’s dimensions (to prevent difficulty accessing other grave spaces if a memorial was protruding into walkways between plots). There are usually far fewer rules about the material, lettering style, wording, or chosen ornaments. However, J.Gumbrill will always ensure we understand the regulations so that we can work with you to create a memorial which both meets your requirements and is compliant.
It is important to understand the differences between cemeteries and churchyards to ensure that the burial takes place in a location where you will be happy to follow the rules regarding memorials.
Natural, Green, or Woodland burial grounds
These settings usually do not allow memorials at all: some may let you to purchase a simple wooden marker designed to biodegrade, and some may have a way to commemorate burials without specific monuments, such as a book or a wall of plaques. You should ensure you are happy with the regulations if you are hoping to arrange a natural burial as it may not be right for you if you wish to choose a more formal and permanent marker for your loved one.
For details about the rules and regulations in any particular setting, please contact us and we will advise you; we also help with the preparation of any required memorial permit application forms or Diocesan forms as part of our service.
Thanks for your time, Annissa.
