The care of churchyards embraces many aspects of life of great concern to people today: (i.e. conservation of wildlife, the natural environment and of our national architectural and artistic heritage; the landscape and local amenity; for high standards of design and lettering; a hunger for places of quietness and solitude; and a need to contemplate the great mysteries of life, death and salvation). They are a valuable part of our heritage and contain the documents of our parish history written in stone.
Here at St Mary the Virgin, Strensall our churchyard is full and no new graves are allowed although cremated remains may be buried in the designated area near the South porch of the church. However if a burial is required the public cemetery over the bridge on the left-hand side of Sheriff Hutton Road is available.
This may be when the issue of whether or not to erect a memorial first arises. A simple wooden cross may be placed to mark a grave until a decision has been made about a more permanent memorial. If there is already a stone marking a family grave then it may be a matter of adding to an existing inscription, but often it is a question of erecting an entirely new memorial.
At least six months must elapse from the date of death before permission can be given for a new headstone on a grave or a plaque over cremated remains (additions to an existing stone may be approved sooner). For a grave, this is for the practical reason that the disturbed ground must be given plenty of time to settle before any stone can be erected in safety. It also allows the family time to consider the design and wording of this important commemoration of your loved one.
It pays to take time and to consider all the options very carefully. The longer you leave things, the better your decisions are likely to be. After all, memorials are intended to last a long time, and good ones can be expensive, so it is important and sensible not to rush into a decision when feeling emotionally vulnerable. You do not need to think about a memorial until well after the funeral.
A. Monumental masons generally offer a fairly standard catalogue of stones, designs and lettering, all of which may be appropriate in cemeteries but not necessarily in churchyards. The undertaker will be able to give advice about this.
B. Specialist artists and letter-cutters are able to offer a more individual
service, and to collaborate closely with you on the creation of a unique
memorial which is also a work of art. These may take longer to commission and
design, but can be surprisingly comparable in price with catalogue items and
often enhance the beauty of the churchyard or cemetery.
Very helpful information about commissioning can be obtained from Memorials by
Artists and contact with local artists can be obtained through the
Diocesan Advisory Committee office, where they may be able to show you
examples of work.
Flowers are most popular tribute. They symbolise life, beauty, hope and renewal, and we encourage people to place flowers on the graves of their loved ones. However there are some rules to keep the churchyard looking well managed. Flowers and wreaths must be removed and disposed of as soon as they start to wither. No artificial flowers are allowed except for Remembrance Day poppies and Christmas wreaths, and these must be removed within two months. Flower containers must be integral to the design of the memorial, not separate. If there is no flower container you can use a removable receptacle, but it must be completely recessed into the ground.
For your convenience there is a tap behind the choir vestry. Two large wheelie-bins: one green for dead flowers and other organic waste; the other is black and is for all plastic and non-organic rubbish (this include oasis). You may like to plant some Spring-flowering bulbs on the grave.
However it is important to note what church yard regulations allow: —
Grave spaces always remain the property of the Church and never the individual or family. This means that each grave space cannot be treated by people as their own private plot and must not be turned into a garden or ‘private plot’ and the grass sward must be allowed to grow naturally so that the whole of the churchyard can be managed tidily. Please remember that all kerbs, edgings, chippings, statues and birdbaths are forbidden, and that trees and shrubs must not be planted on graves.
Please Note — the planting of shrubs and trees will be removed as will any unlawful additions to the grave. If the grass is removed to create a garden it can be filled in again to ensure maintenance of the church yard is not made too difficult.
If you are having a cremation service, you might wish to consider having the remains interred in the cremation burial area near the south porch of the church. If so, the burial of ashes may be marked by a stone tablet no bigger than 18” x 18” which conforms to the regulations with regard to shape, materials, finish and inscription. Application for a memorial must be made to the vicar@strensallstmarys.org.uk.
Please note it is not permitted to scatter ashes in Church of England churchyards.
Flowers may be placed in a single suitable container and permission for this can be obtained when making your application for a memorial stone. Such containers must be made of permitted materials, and must be set flush with the ground to allow easy maintenance of the churchyard. As with graves, the flowers must be real ones and must be removed as soon as they appear withered.
Some people prefer to commemorate their loved ones in other ways. You may already have asked for donations to be made to a charity, and churches are always grateful for donations of this kind. Please note that all collections taken in a church are legally for the church. However, at the PCC's discretion this may be shared with an approved designated charity. If the collection is for another charity a 20% handling fee will be charged.
There are many other schemes available (i.e. planting trees for the Woodland Trust, supporting your local County Wildlife Trust, or sponsoring anything from a zoo animal to a picture on a hospital wall to conserving a book in an historic library). Any of these make a very fitting memorial.
The PCC is responsible for the upkeep of the churchyard. This includes mowing the grass, keeping the pathways clear and in good repair, weeding and preventing damaging self-sown trees from taking root, and keeping the hedges trimmed.
The fees charged for burials, interments and the erection of memorials go towards the cost of maintenance. We do not receive any financial help from the local authority or the wider church, although small grants are sometimes available. Anything you or your family could do to help us manage the churchyard would be greatly appreciated (including on our churchyard tidying mornings which are advertised on our What's On page. This could be some time spent helping those who already give time and effort in maintaining it.
The Strensall and Towthorpe Parish Council operate this and the conditions and rules governing it are based broadly on those used for St Mary’s Churchyard. The aims are to maintain a valuable heritage and perpetuate a record of the local community in a tasteful and generally acceptable manner. Headstones or plaques should be applied for on the appropriate
form, which the undertaker can supply. Please note unless there are exceptional circumstances no headstone can be erected within six months of the internment. Also please note no work should be put in hand until approval has been granted.
The materials to be used for headstones and plaques are Yorkshire Stone or Grey Granite (black headstones are not permitted). Other than headstones, plaques and flower receptacles (as per regulations) no other form of garden monument, tomb, shrine, palisading, kerbing or the use of chippings is permitted. This is to facilitate mowing of the cemetery and to ensure overall tidiness. All such items are not acceptable for maintenance and health and safety issues and will be removed by the Burial authority, if necessary.
The permitted sizes and other regulations are contained in a copy of the regulations the undertaker will ask the next of kin to sign certifying that they have both read and understood them.