Responsibilities are shared between the following:

The Proprietor – The proprietor is the person who has acquired the exclusive right of burial, together with the right to erect a memorial on the plot. He or she is responsible throughout the lifespan of the memorial for its general condition and stability.

The Mason/Erector – The mason/erector, having been commissioned by the proprietor, has a duty of professional care and must abide by the regulations laid down by the landowner. The memorial must be set securely and be of merchantable quality.

The Landowner – The Burial Authority (Parish Council) is holding private property in a public area and has overall responsibility for the safety of visitors, even those with malicious intent. The landowner has ultimate control of what goes onto the land and the rules governing its upkeep.

Applications for exclusive right of burial are to be made to the Clerk to the Burial Authority. Applicants are to receive the duplicate copy of the Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial duly signed by the officer appointed for this purpose. Grave spaces are to be allocated in numerical order in accordance with the plan of the burial ground and cannot be purchased or reserved in advance.

Applications for interment are to be made to the Clerk to the Burial Authority.

Applications for erection of headstone and additional inscriptions are to be made to the Clerk to the Burial Authority, and designs submitted for approval before work is put in hand. Applicants should be aware that no monument, gravestone or tablet can be erected unless a Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial has been made.

The following rules must be observed by the proprietor:

The proprietor is responsible throughout the lifespan of the memorial for its general condition, upkeep and stability.

Headstones shall preferably be of local stone and not exceed 75 cm in height. Reconstructed stone is not permitted.

No kerbs are permitted.

The burial ground shall be maintained in a level condition without any permanent earth mounds.

No planting on the grave plot is permitted.

Vases to contain floral displays shall not exceed 30 cm in height. Jam jars are not permitted. For any other form of container, the consent of the Burial Authority must be obtained before use. Artificial flowers are not to be used.

In the Garden of Rest, no memorial other than the stone with inscription is permitted. Stone shall not exceed 30 cm x 30 cm or exceed 30 cm in height. Cut flowers must be placed in the trough provided.

Dogs are not permitted in the Burial Ground.

The landowner is the steward of the burial ground with ultimate responsibility for maintenance and safety. In pursuance of this responsibility, the landowner must:

Maintain a register of all burials in accordance with current regulations;

Maintain contact with the proprietor at regular intervals to ensure that rights are either maintained or surrendered;

Ensure that the proprietor abides by the rules laid down;

Possess adequate insurance to cover accidental, storm, vandal and other damage;

Invest a percentage of the initial rights fees for investment in a maintenance trust fund which may be applied in emergency or contingency situations;

Appoint a competent person to establish technical specifications for foundations suitable for the monuments and existing ground conditions, and for the fixing of memorials to foundations;

Ensure that printed regulations laying out the rules and responsibilities are made available to funeral directors and clients.

The landowner may take such action as is necessary to ensure the observance of regulations. This may include the removal of any object deemed to be unsuitable or inappropriate.

Entitlement to exclusive right of burial applies where the person requiring exclusive right of burial, or the deceased, is or was:

• a current inhabitant of Ashford-in-the-Water

• born in Ashford-in-the-Water

• a former inhabitant or parishioner of Ashford-in-the-Water for a period of at least 5 years.

In the case of a still-born child, one of the parents must satisfy the above criteria.

Individuals who do not satisfy the criteria laid down in paragraph 8 will not be entitled to apply for exclusive right of burial.

The fees indicated do not include the digging of the grave.

Exclusive Right of Burial in Earthen Graves   Fees for Exclusive Right of Burial for a period not exceeding one hundred years are as follows:

• in an earthen grave 2.75 m x 1.25m: £350.00

• of cremated remains in an earthen grave 45 cm x 45 cm in the Garden of Rest: £75.00

These fees include the deed of the Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial and all the expenses thereof.

Interment Fees for interment are as follows:

• of the body of a still born child or a child whose age at the time of death did not exceed one year:    NO CHARGE

• of the body of a child whose age at the time of death exceeded one year, but did not exceed 16 years: £150.00

• of the body of a person whose age at the time of death exceeded 16 years: £200.00

• of cremated remains in the Garden of Rest, or in an existing grave (unless subparagraph ‘a’ applies): £50.00

Monuments, Gravestones, Tablets and Monumental Inscriptions

For the right to erect or place on a grave for which exclusive right of burial has been granted, the following fees apply:

• for a headstone not exceeding 75 cm in height above the ground, in a stone and with an inscription, both approved by the Burial Authority £50.00

• in the case of cremated remains in the Garden of Rest, for a stone with inscription approved by the Burial Authority:   £30.00

• for each additional inscription: £30.00

• for a vase not exceeding 30 cm in height: £30.00

Searches of Register Books 

The register of burials shall at all reasonable times be available for consultation by any person free of charge. Where a search is conducted by a representative of the Burial Authority, the following charges apply:

• for every search covering a period of up to one year: £30.00

• for every additional year: £5.00

• for every certified copy of an entry: £20.00 

Review of Fees   Fees may be revised periodically by the Burial Authority.