• Selection of Grave Space
• Exclusive Rights of Burial
• Transfer of Deed of Grant of Exclusive Rights of Burial
• Change of Address for an Exclusive Right of Burial
• Unpurchased Grave
• Interment
• Restricted Access to your Grave
• Vaults or Walled Graves
• Bearers
• Interment Fee
• Child's Grave
• Lawn Cemetery

The selection of grave spaces, in all cases, is at the sole discretion of the Council.




The Deed of Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial is an official document which confirms with the purchaser their right to burial within a defined grave space within the cemetery. There is a popular belief that the grave itself is purchased. In fact, only the rights of burial are purchased and not the land itself, which remains the property of the burial authority.

Bodmin Town Council issues new Deeds of Grant of Exclusive Right of 50 years, allowing the purchase of extensions at the end of that period, at 10 year increments up to a maximum of 100 years. Renewing or extending the Deed of Grant of Exclusive Right is strongly recommended. However, with so many Exclusive Rights, the Council is not able to send reminders and it is the Deedholder's responsibility to contact the Council.

These Exclusive Rights of Burial would be for up to two normal interments within the grave plot. However, when the grave plot is full with respect to normal burials, it may still be utilised for the interment of cremated remains.

It is important to retain the Deed in a secure place, as it is the only legal document held by the owner confirming their entitlement to the burial and memorial rights.

After the rights have lapsed, grave ownership reverts to the Council and the Council is at liberty to reuse or resell any space remaining.






If the owner of the Exclusive Rights dies, it is reasonably assumed that they gave permission to have themselves interred in the grave. After this, the Rights become part of their estate and may be left in a Will or assigned by their executors to someone else. If the Rights are not specifically mentioned in the Will, they will form part of the 'residue' of the Will, usually willed as 'and all my other worldly goods' at the end of the Will.

Whoever inherits the Rights will need to contact the Council and arrange for a transfer of ownership before the grave can be opened again. It is not possible to place a new monument or alter an existing one without the express permission of the owner (Exclusive Rightholder).

In cases where the owner of the Rights died years ago and the family wish to reuse the grave, there is a need to legally transfer ownership. This may involve seeing copies of Will(s) and / or Grants of Probate. Otherwise there may be a need to make a Statutory Declaration in front of a Commissioner for Oaths, Solicitor or Magistrate. Although the Council can advise of the process and provide specimen paperwork, ownership is the family's responsibility and the Council is unable to accept a booking for an interment unless ownership has been clearly established.

Exclusive Rights that are no longer required by the Rightholder may be surrendered to the council at any time, by writing to the council and returning any deed(s) held.







Please write to Bodmin Town Council to change your address on your Deed of Grant, giving your old and new addresses.




It is possible to arrange for a burial to take place in an unpurchased grave (sometimes referred to as a common or public grave). The Exclusive Right of Burial, as explained above, is not sold and the rights to the grave are retained by Bodmin Town Council and it could be that future unrelated burials could take place within the grave. Memorials are not permitted on unpurchased grave spaces.




Only human remains may be interred in the Cemetery (plus any small articles that can be reasonably contained in a standard coffin or casket).

Please note that only persons employed by the Council can carry out excavations for interments.

A certificate of the Register of Births and Deaths, or in the case of an inquest, a Coroner's Order for the Burial, must be delivered to the Clerk or other authorised officer, prior to the interment.

In the period following a burial the grave surface will naturally be subject to soil settlement. The initial settlement usually lasts for about six to nine months, during which time the surface will be topped-off by cemetery staff as required. Once the initial settlement has taken place, the surface will be grassed over. Over future years the grave naturally continues to settle and may require re-surfacing from time to time. This work is usually carried out in the late autumn or early winter, but Cemetery staff will be pleased to top-off / resurface a grave when requested by the Exclusive Rightholder.




There are times when the Council will need to excavate the grave at the side or foot of the grave you have purchased, for other burials. Boards will be placed over the grave and it may be difficult for you to visit for a short period. Please be prepared for this eventuality and be assured that after the funeral, the grave will be cleared and the area left neat and tidy. Indeed, when a burial next occurs in the grave that you have exclusive rights for; the Council could be covering the adjacent graves and causing a similar problem for other grave owners.




Detailed drawings, together with a copy of any inscriptions, must be submitted for the approval of the Burial Authority and the work on the construction shall not be commenced until approval has been received in writing and the appropriate fee has been paid.




Funeral Directors are responsible for arranging sufficient bearers to carry and lower the coffin in a dignified manner. The council understands that family members and mourners will often wish to assist with this and the Council respects that decision. The Council does ask you to be aware that any mourners who do assist with the bearing or lowering of the coffin do so at their own risk.




Please be aware that in addition to the fee charged for the Exclusive Right of Burial, an Interment Fee for opening and closing a grave is charged. The Interment Fee is charged every time that a grave is opened for an interment and the level of the fee depends on the depth to be opened and the scale of charges that applies at the time.

 


There are sections of the New Cemetery that are set aside for the interment of children. Bodmin Town Council makes no charge for the interment of the body of a child not more than sixteen years of age or still born babies, where the parents are parishioners.

 


The New Cemetery, where most new interments occur, is operated in what is known as a lawn style. Using this system helps the Council maintain the cemetery efficiently and makes the excavation of graves for future burials far easier. The type of memorials that are allowed are set out in the Memorial Regulations and whilst visitors are welcome to place flowers in vases attached to the headstone or floral tributes on the headstone base, the placing of flowers, shrubs and trees, including annual plants on the grave is not permitted. The Council reserves the right to remove and dispose of such planting without notice or compensation.