Choosing a Memorial

Many people choose to erect a memorial on their family grave as a lasting monument to the life of a loved one. With a wide range of natural stone and memorial designs available, it is important to choose carefully. The loss of a loved one can be very distressing, so it is sensible not to rush into making a decision which you may later regret.

One memorial only is permitted on a grave, the type and size of this memorial depends upon the type of grave, although kerb sets used traditionally to mark the boundaries of a grave are not permitted.

Your memorial mason may show you a catalogue of the memorials they are able to provide, however, it should be remembered that not every memorial shown will fall within the specifications found in our Rules and Regulations booklet for the cemeteries under our care.

We aim to ensure that masons working in our cemeteries install all memorials in strict accordance with the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) current Code of Working Practice and to British Standard 8415.

We are able to provide a list of masons who are registered with The British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM) and the National Association of Memorial Masons Register of Qualified Monumental Fixers (RQMF).

We can not recommend any particular memorial mason, but we would advise you to compare quotes from a number of masons before placing your order. It is advisable to get a full, itemised quote for the work, so that you can compare the quotes like for like.

It is important to remember that you are responsible for the maintenance of your memorial and that if it becomes unsafe, the management of the cemetery has a responsibility to lay it down or remove it.

Many memorial masons offer a memorial maintenance scheme that will include regular cleaning and checking of your memorial. We regularly inspect memorials located within the five cemeteries that we manage. If any major fault is found we will contact you - in some cases, this will be done by placing a letter on the memorial if we do not have your current address.

You may wish to consider taking out insurance to cover your memorial against accidental damage, vandalism and theft, as repairs could be expensive. Your memorial mason should be able to advise you on a suitable policy.