Burial Ground

The Burial Ground in Long Ashton is situated beyond the closed churchyard around All Saints Church, it is run and maintained by the Parish Council. The Parish Council also maintains the closed churchyard. No new plots are available in the closed churchyard but occasionally interments can be made into existing graves of family members if there is sufficient space in the plot. All enquiries about interments in the churchyard should be made to the Church Office (01275 393109).

The Parish Council Burial Ground was opened in the early seventies and accepts burials of bodies and cremated remains. There are two types of plot available for cremated remains, a traditional square plot (60cm x 60 cm) which can have a memorial stone placed on it or a plot in the Garden of Remembrance where a memorial brass plaque can be fixed to an adjacent wall.

All arrangements for Burials and Interment of Ashes should be made through an undertaker who will co-ordinate with the Parish Council, arrange for the grave to be dug and payment for all fees due. Similarly arrangements for Memorials should be made through a Monumental Mason who should be BRAMM accredited.

In most circumstances burials (including interment of cremated remains) are restricted to:

• Persons who were resident in the Parish of Long Ashton at the time of death, irrespective of the period of residence.
• Persons who had resided in the Parish of Long Ashton or any part of the Parish affected by Local Government Boundary changes prior to those changes being made.
• Persons who during the five years prior to death had been regular attenders at All Saints Church, subject to the observations of the Vicar on the authenticity and merits of any such applications, and the approval of the Burial Ground Committee or its nominees.

However, if there are exceptional circumstances, requests to be buried in the burial ground from people not meeting the criteria will be considered by the appropriate committee of the Parish Council in their absolute discretion.

Fees are increased for those people who did not live in the Parish at or close to their time of death.

There are plots available for the burial of bodies or for the interment of ashes and they are allocated as and when required – you cannot reserve a plot. At the moment there is plenty of space within the burial ground so this will not cause a problem. The purchaser of a plot will be given a deed of grant, which grants the right to exclusive use of the plot for a period of eighty years. This deed proves ownership and will be needed if another burial/interment of ashes in the same plot is requested. For burial plots this can only happen if the grave was originally dug deep enough to allow a second burial. There is almost always room to allow interment of Ashes in a burial plot but once this has happened it is unlikely that a second burial will be able to be accommodated. The cremated remains plots (of either type) will take two normal size caskets or the remains may be loosely interred without a casket. However, once there has been a loose interment there can be no subsequent interments.

The Burial Ground is kept as a lawned area, partly for ease of maintenance but also to ensure it remains a pleasant place for all to visit, so when you purchase a plot you will be asked to sign a form agreeing to keep the area as an open plan lawn and not to dig up any area or plant any shrubs or flowers around the graves. In the Garden of Remembrance plastic vases can be inserted in the ground by the wall and relatives can put flowers into these containers.

For safety reasons, to avoid serious injury to gardeners, glass jars/vases should never be used on any type of plot even on a temporary basis and they will be removed if seen.

Headstones not exceeding 900mm in height on a base 125mm high, 750mm wide & 300mm long OR a memorial vase not exceeding 300mm in height can be placed on the burial plots. A tablet not exceeding 600mm x 600mm (including the base) can be placed on a traditional cremation plot and in the Garden of Remembrance relatives have the right to install up to two 4 inch by 6 inch bronze plaques side by side on the wall adjacent to their plot.

All designs must be approved by the Parish Council before installation. There are no hard and fast rules laid down (other than limitations on size) except that photo memorials are not permitted. Where a design is unusual it will go to the Burial Ground Committee for approval. The committee will consider how the design will sit with other memorials already in place and whether it is appropriate for a village burial ground - its decision is final.

There is a fee for the right to erect a memorial (except in the case of a plot in the Garden of Remembrance where the right is included in the plot fee) and an additional fee for a second plaque/inscription.

The Book of Remembrance is displayed in All Saints Church opened at the appropriate date, and updated twice a year. Relatives will be offered the opportunity to make an entry in it when the Deed of Grant is sent. For current changes and to apply, visit Book of Remembrance form.

Long Ashton Parish Council understands and respects the wishes of its residents to commemorate occasions and remember loved ones through donations such as memorial benches and trees to be placed on land owned and maintained by the Parish Council. The Parish Council wishes to endorse such donations, whilst taking into account the needs and wishes of all residents.

It is the policy of the Parish Council to consider all such applications for donations, but reserves the right to refuse any application which it deems inappropriate for any reason. The decision of the Parish Council shall be final.

Please send all enquiries and correspondence about the Burial Ground to office@longashtonparishcouncil.gov.uk