Hemswell Civil Cemetery

The Burial Clerk will be pleased to answer any questions you have regarding the purchase of a Deed of Exclusive Right of Burial (EROB), making arrangements for interment in Hemswell Civil Cemetery, applications for placing memorials, the responsibilities of Grant Holders and the requirement to maintain memorials. The Cemetery map was updated in May 2025 to reflect the current layout, known graves, and memorials, and to make provision for future burials and interments. If you would like information on a particular plot or memorial, please contact the Burial Clerk via clerk@hemswellparishcouncil.org.uk

The Parish Council is updating its records for reserved plots and memorials.  We appreciate that people may have moved from the area or perhaps don't have the opportunity to visit the graves of loved ones very often - so we are asking for your help. If you know any family members or friends of those named below, please pass on this message and ask them to contact Elizabeth via clerk@hemswellparishcouncil.org.uk or on 07528 852852.

INTRODUCTION

1.     RESPONSIBILITY AND MANAGEMENT

2.     CEMETERY REGULATIONS

3.     LOCATION, LAYOUT AND DESIGNATIONS OF THE CEMETERY

4.     INTERMENTS – FEES, PAYMENTS AND RULES

5.     INTERMENT AND BURIAL ARRANGEMENTS

6.     MEMORIALS (HEADSTONES), MONUMENTS AND INSCRIPTIONS

 Introduction

This policy sets out the practices, procedures, and fees for Hemswell Civil Cemetery. The clerk can provide an electronic copy of this document upon request.

This policy sets out the practices, procedures, and fees for Hemswell Civil Cemetery. The document is available on the Parish Council website: https://hemswell.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/ and can be requested in hard copy format via the clerk. 

This policy aims to:

• Provide clear and unambiguous information to all visitors and users of the cemetery.
• Set out the necessary rules and regulations to meet health and safety requirements and to ensure efficient use of burial space in the future.
• Describe the measures taken to ensure Hemswell Civil Cemetery is a safe, pleasant and peaceful place to visit. 

This policy applies equally to all persons who may visit or undertake work in the cemetery, which may include, but is not limited to: 

• Members and staff of Hemswell Parish Council 
• Visitors
• Clergy
• Funeral Directors and Contractors
• Monumental Masons 

This information meets the current relevant legislation and codes of conduct provided by the professional bodies responsible for cemetery management. The policy will be reviewed and updated periodically in accordance with such legislative changes as may be appropriate from time to time.

1.  Responsibility and Management  

Hemswell Civil Cemetery was established in 1951 and is owned and managed by Hemswell Parish Council (PC) on behalf of the residents of Hemswell Civil Parish. In managing the Cemetery, Hemswell PC aims to: 

• Provide a sensitive and respectful service to those who are bereaved. 
• Ensure that the recently bereaved receive sympathetic, supportive, and confidential advice on funeral arrangements.
• Maintain the cemetery to a high standard within the budget of Hemswell PC by applying fair rules and fees which are transparent and easily accessible to the public.
• Apply fair and sensitive enforcement where rules are not followed. 

As a Burial Authority, Hemswell PC has a duty under Health and Safety Regulations to do all that is reasonably practical to ensure the health and safety of persons who visit or are required to work within Hemswell Civil Cemetery. To identify potential hazards and risks, a quarterly informal site inspection will be conducted by the Burial Clerk or other competent person, and any necessary action taken. A copy of the statutory registers and records concerning burials and interments at the cemetery shall be kept by the Hemswell PC, which are open for inspection by prior appointment with the Clerk. An administrative fee to view the records may apply, and these fees will be reviewed periodically.

2. Cemetery Regulations 

2.1 Hemswell Civil Cemetery is always open for pedestrian access. However, the PC reserves the right to restrict access as necessary for repairs, emergencies or in the interests of public safety.

2.2 The cemetery grounds, memorials and floral tributes must always be respected. Dogs must be kept on a lead under proper control.  Dog waste must be collected and securely bagged; plastic flower wrappings or general litter must be disposed of in the black bin provided.

2.3 Separate bins for general and garden-type (green) waste, are provided. Only the correct type of waste should be placed in either bin, i.e., no plastic or general waste in the green bin.

2.4 Flowers must be securely held in designated flower vases or holders, i.e., vases made of granite, marble or metal designed for exterior/cemetery use.  Glass vases, glass bottles, jugs, and general glassware are not permitted in the cemetery as they are easily broken and pose a hazard to contractors and other visitors. Hemswell PC reserves the right to remove any item made from glass and any alcohol held in bottles or glasses left on a grave. 

2.5 Floral tributes and other small appropriate tributes must be placed on the headstone base and not on the grassed area of the grave or surrounding areas. Hemswell PC reserves the right to remove any floral tributes four (4) weeks after being placed on the grave to facilitate grounds maintenance and grass cutting. 

2.6. Following a burial or interment, Hemswell PC retains the right to remove funeral flowers, or other flower tributes and displays after 14 days or when they become unsightly. Christmas tributes must be removed by the end of the following January. 

2.7 Hemswell PC does not permit members of the public to use any form of weedkiller or herbicide, whether non-selective or selective, around graves, upon graves or anywhere within the boundaries of the cemetery. 

2.8 No trees, shrubs or flowers may be planted in the cemetery without express permission. Hemswell PC reserves the right to prune or remove any planted material already existing if, in the opinion of the Burial Clerk, it has become unsightly, overgrown, or is deemed to impact upon any grave space or likely to interfere with grass cutting and general maintenance.

3. Location, Layout and Designations of Cemetery

Hemswell  Civil Cemetery is located on Hemswell Lane and is divided into East and West sections by a central path. The cemetery provides consecrated and non-consecrated ground, and an area for the interment of ashes. Ashes may also be interred within graves where appropriate.

There are two benches placed at the North and South ends of the cemetery. A noticeboard displays the Cemetery Map, updates/notices and contact details for the Clerk.

The cemetery has a water supply for use by visitors to the cemetery. 

4.  Interments – Fees, Payments and Rules

4.1 Schedule of Fees

4.2 Purchase of a Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial (EROB)- Residents of Hemswell Civil Parish may be buried or their ashes interred in the cemetery, subject to payment of the appropriate fee. *‘Resident’ is defined as a person who ‘resided in the parish at the time of their death’. See also 4.3.

4.3 Anyone who dies in a retirement or care home outside Hemswell Parish, but who was previously resident in the civil parish immediately before they moved into care, will be treated as if they were still resident in the parish at the date of death.  

4.4 Non-residents may also be interred in Hemswell Civil cemetery if, in the opinion of Hemswell PC, there is space available to accommodate the interment and subject to payment of fees as set out in 4.1 

4.5 The purchase of a Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial only confers a right of interment. It does not confer ownership of the ground in which a burial or interment of ashes is made.  The duration of the Exclusive Right of Burial is stated on the Grant at the time of issue.

4.6 Burial may only take place in plots shown on the Hemswell Civil Cemetery plan, a copy of which is displayed on the noticeboard and on the PC website or is available from the Clerk. The Burial Clerk will determine which plot(s) may be allocated, and the wishes of the applicant(s) shall be met as far as is practicable or after consideration by the PC, where deemed necessary.

4.7 When a person purchases a Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial, a Deed is issued, and ownership is as shown on the Deed (the Deed Holder), unless a transfer has been actioned at a later date (see 4.9). An EROB is a legal document and should be kept in a safe place. Copies of EROBs are held by Hemswell PC in a designated book. 

4. 8 By proper application and payment of the appropriate fees, the Deed Holder of an Exclusive Right of Burial can:

• Be buried/interred in a specific plot within the cemetery.  
• Authorise the interment of ashes in the plot, if space is available.  
• Erect and make changes to a memorial, subject to approval for Permission to Erect a Memorial/Add Inscription.

4.9 A Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial is considered the personal estate of the Deed Holder and can be assigned (transferred) in their lifetime or bequeathed by Will. If the person transferring the EROB is living, they can transfer or change the ownership or add another Deed Holder, but if the Deed Holder has died, the EROB can only be transferred to persons legally entitled to it. 

4. 10 A ‘Form of Assignment’ to transfer or change the ownership of the Exclusive Right of Burial should be made to the Burial Clerk, with the administration fee as set out in 4.1. The transfer will be treated as if it were a new purchase but does not alter the expiry date of the Grant of Exclusive Right to Burial. Please Note: The maximum number of Deed Holders permitted by Hemswell PC is two at any time. If there is more than one Deed Holder, written permission is required from every Deed Holder for a burial/interment, erecting or altering a memorial stone or amending ownership, including surrendering, transferring or adding. This can prove difficult if a family dispute arises or a named person moves away, and Hemswell PC will not be able to undertake any request for burial/interment or memorials without evidence of appropriate legal paperwork in place.

4. 11 If a Deed Holder dies without transferring an EROB, they have a legal right to be buried/interred in the assigned plot (‘owner’s burial’), and it is assumed this would have been their natural desire. No permission for burial/interment is required in this instance, provided that the Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial is available or entitlement can be proved. 

4. 12 If there is more than one Deed Holder and one Deed Holder dies, the rights automatically go to the surviving Deed Holder until the last surviving Deed Holder dies.  At this point, no transfer of ownership can be made following the death of any of the previous Deed Holders, regardless of what is stated within their Will.  If the last Deed Holder dies, they will retain the right to be buried/interred in the assigned plot, but ownership must be transferred before a memorial can be erected or altered, based on their Will or Letter of Administration.

5. Interment and Burial Arrangements

5.1 No burial or interment of ashes shall take place without the express permission of Hemswell PC via submission of the Notice of Interment application form and appropriate fee. Requests for interment must be made to the Burial Clerk at least five working days prior to the date of the interment.  Access to the cemetery to undertake work must be sought via the Clerk.

5.2 After notice has been given, any alteration required in the arrangements for burial or interment will be subject to agreement with the Burial Clerk. An additional charge might apply if an alteration is likely to incur additional administrative costs. 

5.3 The Notice of Interment application must include the accurate and exact outside dimensions of the coffin to be used for burial, inclusive of handles and other ornamentation. Proposals to use a coffin exceeding the current standard size should be referred to the Burial Clerk for individual advice.

5.4 Earthen graves must not be less than 4 ft 6 inches (approx. 1.4 m) in depth. Only one burial per grave space is permitted. 

5.5 Earthen graves will be lawn style. No new kerbed graves are permitted in Hemswell Civil Cemetery.

5.6 Completed Registrar’s Certificate/’Green form’ and fees due to Hemswell PC must be received before the day of burial/interment.

5.7 Burials and interments shall generally take place between 9.30 am and 4.00 pm, Monday to Friday, although Saturday interments may be permitted in special circumstances. Hemswell PC will consider sympathetically any reasonable application for burial/interment outside these days/hours and where such applications are made on religious grounds.

5.8 Interment of cremated remains may take place:

i.   In a designated area of the cemetery, as directed by the Burial Clerk.

ii. In existing family grave spaces where all interments have been completed.

5.9 Interment of cremated remains is only permitted provided that the full and formal identity of the deceased is recorded on the casket, either directly inscribed/written or by means of a plaque. If the identity is to be different to the full and formal names submitted on the Notice of Interment, the Burial Clerk must be advised before interment, as any discrepancy between the formal name on the Notice of Interment form and that on the casket could cause a delay or postponement of the interment.

5.10 If a Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial has been purchased, but a decision is made for the deceased to be cremated, the burial of an ashes casket is allowed in the full grave space, subject to the Deed Holder’s permission. For the assignment or surrender of a Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial, see 4.10 and 4.14.

6. Memorials (Headstones), Monuments and Inscriptions

6.1 Memorials may only be placed on graves where a Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial has been purchased and is held by a living Deed Holder. A minimum of eight (8) months must have elapsed between the date of interment and the erection of a memorial to allow settlement of soil and reduce the likelihood of movement of the memorial, and to avoid possible cost and distress to the owner arising from re-affixing the memorial.

6.2 No memorial shall be placed in Hemswell Civil Cemetery, and no additional inscription shall be made on any memorial without completion of an application for permission to erect a memorial/add inscription form, available from the Burial Clerk. 

6.3 Hemswell PC requires memorial masons to adhere to the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) Code of Ethics and Practice or its equivalent. This includes the use of appropriate foundations and fixings or other suitably secure methods for the installation of stone memorials as per current British Standards. The Memorial Application form must include details of the purchaser, who will then be regarded as the owner of the memorial. Any relevant change of details should be notified to the Burial Clerk in writing as soon as possible.

6.4 The registered owner of the memorial is fully responsible for its maintenance, upkeep and safety. In the event of any memorial becoming dangerous or defective, Hemswell Parish Council may, under the powers and procedures set out in Article 16(2) and Schedule 3 of the Local Authorities Cemetery Order 1977, give notice to the owner requiring them to repair or remove the memorial as set out in the Hemswell PC Memorial Safety and Inspection Policy. Members of the public are not permitted to carry out any repairs or remedial work on memorials. 

6.5 Given the responsibility of the memorial owner to maintain it in a safe state of repair, it is recommended that owners take out appropriate insurance to mitigate the potential cost of repair/replacement due to accidental damage, deterioration, etc. 

6.6 All memorials, vases, tablets, plaques, inscriptions, and plantings must be approved by Hemswell PC before installation/works via completion and submission of the appropriate form (Application for Permission to Erect a Memorial/Add Inscription). Any item placed without prior approval may be relocated, and a charge will be made, see 4.1 Schedule of Fees.

6.7 The Monumental Mason must give at least three clear working days’ notice to the Burial Clerk before installation of a memorial upon a grave. 

6.8 Where Hemswell PC deem a memorial to be unsafe or requires repair or re-affixing, the memorial owner will be given a reasonable timescale to commission repair or remedial work. If, after the expiration of the notice period, the owner has failed to repair or remove the memorial, or if the PC has been unable to trace the owner after it has taken such reasonable steps as it may consider necessary for that purpose, the PC reserves the right to take appropriate action to make the memorial safe, which may include staking and band, ‘laying-flat’ or removal.

6.9 Dimensions & Specification: Hemswell PC require that:-

• Headstones should not exceed maximum height of 3’ 9” (1125 mm) including depth of base and 9” (229 mm) thickness. 
• Cremation plaques should not exceed 12” x 12” (300 mm). 
• Any memorial not of these dimensions may only be erected at the discretion of Hemswell PC.

Supporting Documents and Application Forms are available from the Burial Clerk

• Notice of Interment
• Application for Permission to Erect a Memorial/Add Inscription
• Application to Remove/Repair/Reaffix a Memorial
• Grave Space Allocation, Marking and Digging of Grave (For Internal Use and Use by Funeral Directors)
• Memorial Safety & Inspection Policy

If you have any questions, would like to reserve a grave space or need help with completing our forms, please email: clerk@hemswellparishcouncil.org.uk

DOCUMENT CONTROL: 

Rev 1.0 Adopted April 2023.  Rev 1.1 Reviewed September 2023. Adopted without changes. Rev 1.2 Reviewed July 2024. Governing document links updated, use of weedkiller/herbicides in grounds forbidden. Rev 1.3 Reviewed August 2025. Inclusion of an administrative fee to Remove/Repair/Reaffix a Memorial. Clarification on the permitted number of Deed Holders for an Exclusive Right of Burial (EROB) and assignment of EROB.