Holy Trinity has a much-loved churchyard which set aside for Christian burial and for memorials to parishioners who have died. In order that the beauty and peace of the churchyard may be preserved for all, the Parochial Church Council stipulates that the following guidelines for the care of graves and ashes must be observed. In this, we have a legal duty to comply with the Churchyard Regulations set out by the Diocese of Oxford, available at www.oxford.anglican.org/monuments
Your understanding and co-operation are much appreciated.
- Everything in the churchyard, from the memorial stones to the trees, shrubs, flowers, and wildlife, is a matter for care, consideration, and respect.
- Memorials should be in keeping with the Christian religion.
- Memorials should be unpolished and of a light-coloured stone matching the local stone with which the church was built. The following stones are the options currently available:
- Crown
- Portland
- Purbeck Dorset UK (Pond) – Jurassic limestone
- Purbeck Dorset UK (Thornback)
- Because they are easily damaged, memorials in the shape of crosses or hearts are to be avoided.
- Plots must not be marked off with kerbs, fencing, railings, or chains, and they should not extend beyond the area allotted to them or take over space reserved for others. Chippings are not permitted.
- The planting of native wild-flowers on graves is encouraged, and we are happy to advise further on this. Artificial flowers, whether plastic or otherwise, are not permitted, with the exception of Remembrance Day wreaths and poppies, and those should be removed within a month.
- Statues, garden ornaments, lamps, windmills, photographs, videos, sound-recordings and the like are not allowed.
- Toys may be placed on the grave of a child but they must not become permanent fixtures and should be removed within a year of the child’s death. Toys are not permitted in other circumstances.
- Headstones on graves should not exceed 27’’ in height and 22’’ in width, and should be at least 3’’ thick.
- The dimensions of a memorial tablet (‘ledger stone’) marking an interment of ashes of just one person should not exceed 12’’x12’’. Where the ashes of two people are to be interred in the same plot the dimensions of the tablet may be increased to 14’’x 14’’.
- A flower pot may be placed on top of an ashes memorial but because space in the churchyard is now severely limited the planting of flowers around ashes memorials is not permitted.
- Monuments remain the property and responsibility of their owners, and can be cleaned with water and a soft-bristled brush. Glass or perspex sheets should not be placed on top of stones.