Terms & Conditions

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1. All burials will conform to statutory requirements and have due regard to the ethos of a woodland burial ground and to other users.

2. Graves will be excavated by Countryside Burials Limited (hereafter referred to as “the Company”) or a contractor appointed by the Company. By prior arrangement, mourners may, under supervision, assist in the backfilling of the grave only.

3. The Company retains the right to, and will, allocate all grave spaces, even when pre-purchased. However, grave spaces purchased simultaneously will be adjoining unless otherwise agreed.

4. The body must be contained in a coffin or body bag made of biodegradable materials or wrapped in a shroud of natural fibres. Where coffins are constructed from wood, only pine from ‘managed’ woodlands may be used.

5. Unless required by law, bodies should not be embalmed.

6. The grant of a right of exclusive burial will also include the option to purchase the right to have a single native tree planted. The species must be approved by the Company. The tree will be planted in a position designated by the Company, at the appropriate time of year, and as part of a managed woodland programme. Trees will not bear any form of identification. As part of the managed programme, it may be necessary from time to time to remove trees planted in the cemetery.

7. Some tokens of remembrance, including plaques, will be permitted on the grave. The grave will be sown with a moderate amount of native wildflowers to enhance the overall development of the meadow.

8. The location of all graves must, and will, be recorded by the Company. The intention behind Brinkley Woodland Cemetery is to make it as natural as possible, unhindered by headstones, and to leave graves unmarked. Accordingly, no right of burial grants any right to place any form of identification or marker upon the grave, which must be allowed to return to its natural state, subject to the following regulation.

9. Where relatives feel there is a need to have the grave marked, an application may be made for the purchase of a suitably inscribed tablet and the right to have it laid for the remaining period of the exclusive right of burial. All tablets shall be of a uniform design and size. They will be laid flat within the surface of the grave, such that no part shall protrude above ground level. No guarantee is given for the tablets, and it should be borne in mind that tractors and other vehicles will be in use within the cemetery from time to time and may drive over stones as part of the upkeep of the meadow and woodland.

10. Paths will be constructed, and grass will be cut regularly so as to form a walkway.

11. Dogs are not permitted in the cemetery.

12. We discourage non-biodegradable wreaths and flowers being left following the interment. Any that are left must be cleared away within a few days after the burial. The Company reserves the right to clear any grave after 10 days, and a charge may be made.

13. Ashes of cremated remains may be strewn in permitted areas with prior written approval and payment of the appropriate fee in force at the time. No record will be kept of the exact location.

14. Family-organised funerals may take place without the aid of a funeral director. All interments should take place in a manner that shows due regard to other users of the cemetery.

15. In the event of any question arising as to the interpretation or application of any of these regulations, the Company’s decision shall be final and binding. The Company reserves the right to alter the regulations from time to time as it sees fit.

16. Fees are non-refundable and do not include Funeral Directors, Ministers/Officiants, or grave preparation.

17. Fees for grave preparation and for the interment, where the exclusive right of burial has already been pre-purchased, will be given upon application.