Rules and Regulations

Introduction

These Rules and Regulations are the general terms and conditions under which Brookwood Park Limited operates Brookwood Cemetery. They are designed to ensure the safe and peaceful operational enjoyment of the site for all visitors and staff.

Additional specific terms and conditions apply to particular areas and features within the site.

Visitors are requested to contribute to the peaceful environment that the company seeks to maintain in the cemetery by acting in a dignified and respectful manner at all times and to comply with the requirements of these Rules and Regulations and relevant Terms and Conditions.

Opening times

Grounds

Brookwood Cemetery is open to members of the public on every day of the year, including Public Holidays. Memorial masons and contractors may only work in the cemetery between 8.00am and 4.30pm on Mondays to Fridays, excluding Public Holidays.

Office

The Brookwood Cemetery Office is open Mondays to Fridays between 9.00am and 5.00pm. The Brookwood Cemetery Office is closed on Weekends and Public Holidays.

Access

Private motor vehicles may use the roads within the Cemetery grounds, but must not exceed 10 mph and must not be driven off the roads onto adjoining areas at any time. The roads within the Cemetery grounds must not be used for the purpose of learning to drive.

Parking is available in a number of small car parks within the Cemetery and on the wider roads. Buses and coaches must not enter the Cemetery and all passengers must disembark at the entrance.

Cycles are permitted in Brookwood Cemetery, but must be ridden on the roads only and at a maximum of 10 mph.
Skateboards are not permitted within Brookwood Cemetery.

Children under the age of 14 years may only visit Brookwood Cemetery if accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult.

Assistance dogs are permitted within the Grounds, Office and Chapel.

Conduct

In the interests of all visitors and staff, we will not permit anyone to:

    • create any disturbance or commit any nuisance
    • interfere with, or act in a disrespectful manner towards, any burial taking place
    • interfere with any grave, vault, mausoleum, any memorial, or any plants or trees
    • play at any game or sport
    • consume food or alcohol, except in association with burial ritual or by prior authorisation from the Cemetery Manager
    • smoke
    • use offensive or abusive language or assault any staff member or visitor
    • undertake filming or photography without prior authorisation from the Cemetery Manager
    • undertake guided walks or tours without prior authorisation from the Cemetery Manager

Any person who fails to meet these reasonable standards of conduct will be asked to leave the site immediately and also may be subject to civil or criminal action.

Burials

All burials must initially be booked by telephone with the staff at the Brookwood Cemetery Office, who will then confirm the details of the booking to the Funeral Director electronically.

In the case of burials requiring new graves or new plots for cremated remains, the Funeral Director should advise their client to visit Brookwood Cemetery to be shown the choices available to them.

The Notice of Interment form must be completed in full and delivered or transmitted electronically to the Brookwood Cemetery Office within the periods shown below:

  • Earth grave – at least 24 hours prior to the burial
  • Vault or chamber – at least 72 hours prior to the burial


For same day burials, the Notice of Interment must be received by Brookwood Cemetery before the burial may proceed.

The Registrar’s Certificate / Coroner’s Order, or other relevant legally required authorisation for the burial, should be delivered in advance of the burial to Brookwood Cemetery Office together with the Notice of Interment. If any of these documents are transmitted electronically, the originals must be received by Brookwood Cemetery before the burial may proceed.

The Registrar’s Certificate / Coroner’s Order, or other relevant legally required authorisation for the burial may be brought at the time of the burial. However, the burial may only proceed upon receipt of the relevant certificate or after the completion of the legally required Declaration.

All graves, vaults and mausolea will be provided and prepared by the Brookwood Cemetery Staff or their nominated agent.

Where mourners wish to backfill a grave, advance notice of this should be communicated to the Brookwood Cemetery Office on the Notice of Interment.

In order to excavate or gain access to a grave, it may be necessary to temporarily place plant, equipment and excavated materials on top of adjacent graves. The period during which this may be necessary will be kept to a minimum. Once the burial has been completed, the grave will be backfilled and the surface of any adjacent grave affected by the works will be made good.

Similarly, it may be necessary to temporarily move memorials to enable access to excavate a grave. Once the burial has been completed, the grave will be backfilled and any memorials that have been moved will be replaced upon their graves.

Times of burials

Burials may take place on Mondays to Fridays inclusive every week of the year. Burials at Weekends and Public Holidays are at the discretion of the Brookwood Cemetery Manager and subject to an additional fee.

Burials may take place between 10.00am and 3.30pm. Burials outside of these hours are at the discretion of the Brookwood Cemetery Manager and subject to an additional fee.

Where the Chapel is required, the funeral should arrive at the cemetery no later than 3.00pm.

Types of coffin / container

The type of coffin/container that will be accepted for burial at Brookwood Cemetery must be appropriate for the type of burial:

  • Standard earth graves: any type of coffin except zinc lined, lead lined or made of steel.
  • Bricked graves, vaults and mausolea: only zinc lined, lead lined or made of steel.
  • Green Burial: only biodegradable coffins made of wicker, bamboo, cardboard or solid unvarnished wood. No chipboard and MDF coffins are permitted.

The standard grave provided at Brookwood Cemetery accommodates most sizes of coffin and casket. However, in the case of a particularly large coffin or casket, it will be necessary to allocate a double grave space to enable the burial to take place, for which additional charges will be payable.

Download a PDF copy of these regulations

Grave ownership

The majority of Brookwood Cemetery and each grave space within it is the property of Brookwood Park Limited. Brookwood Park Limited grants the Exclusive Right of Burial within each grave space in Brookwood Cemetery so that individuals may decide who is buried in a particular grave. As in all cemeteries, the purchase of the Exclusive Right of Burial does not grant the purchaser any interest in the land as real property.

The Exclusive Right of Burial is granted for a specified number of years, either 50 years or 100 years and is subject to specific terms and conditions relevant to the particular type of grave selected in each case.

Brookwood Park Limited issues a Deed of Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial for each grave and, together with the associated Terms and Conditions issued at the same time, this forms the legal contract between Brookwood Park Limited and the purchaser.

Ownership of the Exclusive Right of Burial does not give individuals or families the right to place any items on a grave that are not permitted in Brookwood Cemetery. Such items include, but are not restricted to, wind chimes, windmills, flags, lights, candles, any kind of fencing and anything made of glass. These restrictions are made clear prior to the burial and form part of the Terms and Conditions of the sale of the Exclusive Right of Burial. Brookwood Park Limited reserves the right to remove any item that they consider unsuitable from any grave without notice. Any item removed will be retained at the Brookwood Cemetery Office for 14 days pending collection by the individual concerned, after which it will be disposed of if unclaimed.

No burial may take place within a grave and no memorial may be erected upon a grave without the written consent of the registered owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial in that grave.

Brookwood Park Limited will grant the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave to one named individual. Where desired, Brookwood Park Limited will grant the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave to two named individuals. However, in such cases, the written consent of both named individuals will be required to enable a memorial to be erected on the grave and to permit any burial in the grave.

The ownership of the Exclusive Right of Burial may be transferred either during the owner’s lifetime or after their death. The transfer must be accomplished using the Brookwood Park Limited Form Assignment and be confirmed at the time of transfer with the Brookwood Cemetery Manager.

Possession of the Deed of Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial in itself does not prove ownership of the exclusive rights. The ownership of the Exclusive Right of Burial belongs to the purchaser as registered by Brookwood Park Limited at the time of the sale of the rights or following the registered transfer of ownership.

The period of the Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial may be extended for a period of 10 years, or multiples of 10 years. However, the total period of the Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial may not exceed 100 years.

At least one year prior to the expiry of the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave, Brookwood Park Limited will seek to contact the registered Grantee offering to extend the Exclusive Right of Burial. However, where the Exclusive Right of Burial in any grave expires and is not renewed, it will revert to Brookwood Park Limited.

In such cases, neither the original purchaser of the Exclusive Right of Burial nor anyone to whom the Exclusive Right of Burial may have been transferred has any rights to the grave. Brookwood Park Limited reserves the right to remove any memorial on a grave where the Exclusive Right of Burial has expired and after 3 months to use or dispose of the memorial in any manner.

It is the responsibility of the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial to inform the Brookwood Cemetery Manager of any change of address or their intention to transfer ownership of the right.

Memorials

Memorials must conform to the specific standards set for each type of grave. These standards relate to design, size and methods of fixing.

All memorials must be fixed in accordance with relevant standards set by NAMM or BRAMM.

The details of each proposed memorial must be submitted to the Brookwood Cemetery Manager using the Memorial Application form. The memorial may only be erected / installed following written approval by Brookwood Park Limited, issued in the form of a Permit for which a fee is payable.

Only memorial masons currently registered with the Brookwood Park Limited’s ‘Brookwood Cemetery Memorial Mason Registration Scheme’ may carry out work to memorials within Brookwood Cemetery.

All memorials shall be erected to conform to the most recent edition of the National Association of Memorial Mason’s Recommended Code of Working Practice or the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons’ Blue Book.

The name of the Memorial Mason and the burial number of the grave must be inscribed on each memorial in letters ½” (12mm) high on the left and right side respectively of any kerb or on the rear of any headstone.

Subject to the type of grave selected, it may be necessary to allow a period of 12 months to pass following a burial before a memorial can be erected upon a grave.

Brookwood Park Limited reserves the right to remove any memorial, which either does not conform to its description on the Memorial Application form or which is erected without the permission of Brookwood Park Limited. The memorial will be retained at the Brookwood Cemetery Office for 3 months only, pending collection by the individual concerned, after which it will be disposed of if unclaimed.

The maintenance of the memorial is the responsibility of the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial. If for any reason the memorial becomes unstable or dilapidated, Brookwood Park Limited reserves the right to lay flat or remove and dispose of the memorial, subject to giving one month’s written notice of the intention to do so to the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial at their last known address. If removed the memorial will be retained at the Brookwood Cemetery Office for 3 months only, pending collection by the individual concerned, after which it will be disposed of if unclaimed.

The insurance of the memorial is the responsibility of the purchaser and Brookwood Park Limited would be pleased to advise on suitable insurance. Brookwood Park Limited can accept no responsibility for loss or damage to memorials.

Grounds maintenance

The maintenance of the grounds, including the cutting of all grass areas and the excavation of graves is the responsibility of Brookwood Park Limited and may only be undertaken by Brookwood Park Limited or their nominated agent.

Following a burial, the grave will be backfilled and any floral tributes placed carefully over the grave. All floral tributes, including plastic bases and ‘oasis’, may be removed and disposed of by Brookwood Park Limited 14 days after the burial.

Subject to the specific terms and conditions for the grave concerned, the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave may plant and cultivate suitable, low-growing plants or place cut flowers within a specified area of the grave. Brookwood Park Limited reserves the right to remove plants, plastic flowers, cut flowers, wreaths or other such items in the interests of maintaining the site to the highest standards.

If required, Brookwood Park Limited can plant and maintain individual graves on behalf of the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial. There are charges for this service.

Following each burial in an earth grave, the ground will settle over a period of months. Brookwood Park Limited will routinely top up the level of any grave that sinks in this way for up to one year from the date of the burial.

Brookwood Park Limited reserves the right to access all areas of the site to undertake maintenance and grave digging operations.

When a grave is excavated for a second or subsequent burial, it may be necessary to remove the memorial upon the grave to enable safe excavation. It is the responsibility of the owner of the exclusive rights in the grave to arrange for the memorial to be removed and replaced upon the grave after a suitable period has elapsed to allow for the settlement of the backfilled ground.

When a grave is excavated, it may be necessary to temporarily place excavated material on top of adjacent graves. In such circumstances, the surface and memorial of affected graves will be protected and the excavated material will be removed immediately following the funeral.

When a grave is excavated, it may be necessary to temporarily remove one or more memorials to enable access to the grave. In such circumstances, the affected memorial(s) will be replaced immediately following the funeral.