Churchyards and cemeteries often fall into one of two categories: lawn cemeteries or historic cemetery. Most lawn cemeteries are rectangular in shape, with well-kept, trimmed flat lawn-style grass, sanitary facilities, parking, and access through contemporary walkways to all portions. With the General Guidelines section applying to all churchyards and graveyards regardless of age, and the Care for Historic Churchyards and Graveyards section providing more detailed information on various aspects of this type of property, these guidelines are issued to assist parishes in the maintenance of their churchyards and graveyards.
General Guidelines
Safety & Health
The select vestry should include a risk assessment or inspection of the churchyard or graveyard as part of their annual health and safety program because it is just as important as other parish buildings, like the church or parish hall, for example.
Management
The Representative Church Body is responsible for overseeing cemeteries and burial grounds. The legislation controlling burials is not covered in this chapter, but it does outline the rules and regulations pertaining to the management of burial grounds, including fees, permission of the erection of headstones and their inscriptions, rights of burial, and location of burial. It excludes practical topics like insurance, health & safety, and others.
Insurance
Like with any properties, having sufficient insurance coverage is crucial. The select vestry is in charge of making sure the parish is properly insured, and speaking with their insurance broker is the best way to achieve this. It is important to note that damage to churchyard and graveyard walls is typically not covered by insurance, with the exception of situations where the damage is as a direct result of subsidence or landslip that can be proven as a result of water or flood damage. Insurance policies typically cover slips, trips, and falls as well as other public and employer liability matters and repairs other than those caused by normal wear and tear.
Planning for Maintenance and Repairs
There are three key areas to be aware of when thinking about churchyard and graveyard maintenance and repairs: keeping an accurate and thorough record of memorials, burials, other features and plants, and any changes that occur; maintaining and repairing the churchyard or graveyard to keep it secure and in good condition; and, finally, making financial arrangements for the maintenance and repair.
Care for Churchyards & Graveyards
Pathways
New routes should never be built without first consulting the local conservation/heritage officer, and existing pathways should always be kept clean of vegetation. Any new pathway’s kind and design, as well as the deadlines set by statutory agencies, should be carefully considered.
Boundaries
Churchyard or cemetery boundaries created in the 18th and 19th centuries are often made of a stone wall made of local rubble stone and lime mortar, though they can also incorporate metal railings made of cast or wrought iron or an earthen bank topped by a hedgerow. It is crucial that no groundwork be done in the field around the graveyard wall as this could disrupt burials because these boundaries occasionally enclosed an area smaller than that of the original graveyard, leading to interment outside of the graveyard wall in nearby fields.
Nature in a Cemetery
Particularly in rural locations or those that are overgrown due to the often low levels of human activity, graveyards can be a shelter for both flora and fauna, giving a rich variety. Compared to meadows that are intensively farmed and managed, graveyards can host a greater variety of native grasses and wildflowers.
Memorials
The term “memorial” is a general term that refers to all types of burial markers, including headstones, gravestones, tombs, monuments, and crypts. A memorial is the property of the individual or family that erected it, and it is their responsibility, not the parish, to maintain it. If a monument becomes so worn-out that it poses a risk to people’s health and safety, obstructs access to other graves, or impedes the proper upkeep and maintenance of the cemetery.
In general, it is advisable to leave memorials alone unless they pose a risk to the public or are in danger of toppling or breaking. The main cause of a memorial leaning forward is that the land in front of it has sunk because the burial plot’s less compact soil has caused it to do so. If the memorial were to be straightened, this would interfere with the burial plot. In order to determine whether there is a health and safety concern or whether it is in immediate risk of collapsing, a tilting memorial should be observed over time. To guarantee the greatest results when resetting or straightening a memorial, whether it be a headstone, box-tomb, or table-tomb, it is essential to consult a local conservation/heritage officer for advice.
Memorial cleaning should be done with prudence and only after serious thought. They should only be cleaned with gentle brushes and water; sandblasting or the use of power washers should not even be considered. Abrasive materials or brushes, or harsh cleaning agents, should also not be used to clean them.
Ground Surface
An historic cemetery typically has grass covering the ground that is undulating in nature, which is quite distinctive and should be preserved. Strimmers are more convenient than mowing equipment, but they must be handled carefully when working close to upright memorials to prevent damaging the memorials’ surfaces.