BURIAL OPTIONS

Burial is perceived as the 'traditional' form of funeral, typically related to those of religious influence, although these days, this certainly isn't the case. There are municipal or local authority cemeteries in the area and several Churchyards. Some have a Service Chapel; others don't, which may mean you will need to decide upon a place of service before the burial takes place. Often, people opt for a church service; however, all local Crematorium offers a 'Service Only' option, becoming a more widespread, non-religious alternative to a church service. There is a list of local cemeteries at the bottom of this page, although others may be available. Cemeteries are very different, unlike Crematoria, which have a standard charge regardless of where you live. Your local authority cemetery will provide a burial for a resident of the area at one fee, but double fees will apply if you fall out of the area. We will guide you as to the associated costs when making your arrangements.

 

There are two options when it comes to burial, either interment in an existing grave or purchasing a new grave.

 

EXISTING GRAVE:

There may already be an existing family grave with available space for further interments. We need to clarify with the Cemetery   Superintendent to acknowledge that the grave can still be used formally. Just because your family purchased the grave years before doesn't necessarily mean you can use it, or you have rights to the grave now. You may know that a family grave exists but is uncertain about its location. In such situations, we would ask who may have been buried in the grave previously and then search through the cemetery record archives to make a trace. Once the grave has been identified and available space confirmed, the Cemetery Superintendent will provide a status on the grave. It may be that you purchased the grave many years ago, and the Exclusive Rights of Burial have expired. As such, and before any interment can occur, the exclusive rights will need to be purchased before the burial can occur. Should a memorial be in place, our Monumental Mason will need to remove this before they can prepare the grave for burial. They will take the memorial back to their yard, where they will keep it until it is permitted to be placed back on the grave.

 

NEW GRAVE:

Portsmouth City Council does not require a grave to be purchased for burial. They have what is known as 'Common Graves' where people can be buried without purchasing exclusive rights. This can provide a more cost-effective option should finances be a deciding issue; however, if the grave is not purchased, the cemetery authorities do have the right to bury other people in the grave. In addition, a Common Grave does not allow for any memorial, not even a grave marker, as you have no rights to the grave.

 

When opting for a new grave purchase, the Cemetery Superintendent will usually select a suitable grave. However, if you prefer a specific grave location, the cemetery staff are amicable and willing to help accommodate your wishes. When selecting a new grave, it will be necessary to decide at this stage if the grave is to be for one, two, or three interments. Single and double graves are freely available, treble graves are less available, and the depth and not width determine the size of the grave.

 

CHURCHYARDS:

Churchyard burials are now becoming few and far between. Most Churchyards are old, have been in existence for many years, and were only intended to serve small parish communities. As towns and cities grow and the population increases, the availability of space, in the main, is not available. However, more rural Churchyards still carry out burials, and we can offer you guidance on a local church to see if this option is possible. Although unable to provide space for full interments, many Churchyards can offer some provision for the interment of cremated remains. Charges for interment within a Churchyard are governed by the church, these forming part of the Parochial Church Fees, a copy of which can be provided on request.

 

MEMORIALS:

Should you opt for 'Exclusive Rights of Burial', you will be entitled to place a new memorial once the twelve-month settling period has expired. We have a wide variety of memorials in all different shapes, sizes, and materials. You can view our Memorial Brochures by going to our' Download Section', which will indicate what is available.