Churchyard - Memorials & Headstones

Burials

Braunston cemetery is on the edge of rolling countryside with sheep grazing and green fields all around. It is a lovely resting place and Braunston and canal people have been buried here for centuries. Without being obnoxious or jobsworth there are quite a lot of regulations around graveyards in rural churches. This is a holy and peaceful place of rest and the rules are intended to help it remain so. So we raise the main issues here so that there can be no misunderstandings.

Because space is limited you will not usually be offered a choice about where the grave will be dug. Unless you have previously reserved a space near other family members the new grave will normally occupy the next available space in the current row. If you are thinking ahead it is sometimes possible to reserve a particular space. There is a fee for this and the application has to be approved by Faculty through the Diocesan Registrar so you will need to be fairly determined. If you wish to discuss this further please get in touch with one of our churchwardens.

It is possible to arrange to have the grave dug “double depth” when you bury a loved one. This means that you or another family member can eventually be interred there without need for a faculty or reservation fee, although you will pay more for the digging of the grave itself than if it were dug for single occupancy.

Headstones

Once the burial has taken place and the ground has settled (six months minimum) you may decide to install a headstone. Although the cemetery is historically a bit of a hotch potch of different shapes and styles of stone we now adhere quite strictly to Diocesan regulations on the type of memorials that are permitted. Most local stonemasons know the rules but if you would like to see a download of the current diocesan regulations please see below.

Please be reasonable if the vicar declines to authorise a particular design that falls outside the regulations. She is not being wilfully difficult and will work with you to solve any points of difference.

Maintenance of Graves

Immediately after a funeral it can be comforting to leave items of remembrance (toys, statues, balloons) on graves as well as flowers. These very quickly become the worse for wear so after a week or two we request that you remove these and keep them safely at home. Artificial flowers also get very tatty very quickly and are not permitted. The one exception to this rule is poppies which can go on graves for Remembrance Sunday if they are removed within a month or so.

The most beautiful adornment to a grave is natural flowers, bulbs or shrubs. Please ask if you need physical help planting these. Church members will be pleased to help you.

Burial of Ashes

After Cremation it is possible to bury the ashes at Braunston Church. Ashes are buried in uniform plots near to the war memorial in the old church yard with views over the countryside. It is a wonderful spot to sit and remember.

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