Cremation
How many people use cremation today in Great
Britain?
Do any religious groups forbid cremation?
Is cremation more expensive than burial?
What religious ceremony can I have with
cremation?
How is a cremation arranged?
Can a cremation be arranged without the services of
a funeral director?
Can relatives witness the committal of the coffin
to the cremator?
Is the coffin cremated with the body?
How soon after the service will the cremation take
place?
How are cremated remains kept separate?
What happens to the cremated remains after
cremation?
Can more than one body be cremated at a
time?
Are coffins sold back to funeral directors for
re-use?
Burial
Why are graves dug so deep?
Why are there so many different types of grave
available at the City of London Cemetery?
I have a lawn grave. Why can't I put a full
memorial over the surface of the grave?
Are graves filled in straight after a funeral
or are they left to the next day?
I understand that some people wait while the
grave is filled in. Why is this?
Can anyone witness the grave being
filled?
I've got a lawn grave. When will I be able to put
a memorial onto it?
Why have I only been sold the grave for a set
period of time? - I want the grave forever!
I own the grave, can anyone else be buried in
it if I don't want them to?
I am told the grave is for two people -
there is only one person in the grave and I now want two more
burials to take place in the grave.
What happens when the lease
expires?
What happens if / when all the owners have
died?
Why can't I have what I want on the
grave?
Why is a permit needed?
I want to bury cremated remains into the
grave. Why do I have to decide whether there will be any more
burials before this can be done?
I need to buy a headstone. Do you recommend
stone masons?
How many people use
cremation today in Great Britain?
Since 1968 when the number of cremations exceeded burials for
the first time, cremation has increased considerably. Current
figures suggest that around 70% of all funerals are cremations.
Do any religious
groups forbid cremation?
All current Christian denominations, including the Roman
Catholic Church, allow cremation, as do Sikhs, Hindus, Parsees and
Buddhists. It is however forbidden by Orthodox Jews and
Muslims.
Is cremation
more expensive than burial?
No. Generally the cost of a grave is much higher than the fee
charged for cremation although the funeral charges are similar for
both services. The only additional charge for cremation arises when
the death has not been referred to a coroner and two doctors need
to be paid for the necessary certificates. This does not apply to
burial.
What religious
ceremony can I have with cremation?
The service for burial and cremation is the same apart from the
form of committal sentences. The service may take place at your own
place of worship with a short committal service in the crematorium
chapel, or you may have the whole service at the crematorium
chapel. Alternatively, you may prefer a civil ceremony be
conducted, or even no service at all.
How is a
cremation arranged?
The Cremation Regulations are complex and many people approach a
funeral director immediately death occurs, and advise him that they
wish to arrange a cremation. The funeral director will ensure that
all the necessary statutory forms for cremation are obtained and
presented to the Crematorium.
Can a cremation be
arranged without the services of a funeral director?
Yes. The Executor or nearest surviving relative may arrange the
cremation service themselves.
See our information on organising a funeral.
Can relatives
witness the committal of the coffin to the cremator?
Yes. There is a viewing room that overlooks our crematory, where
you may witness the committal taking place. This room is equipped
with CCTV enabling all of those in the room to clearly see the
committal. The Crematorium must be informed that you wish to use
our viewing facilities when the cremation is booked, so that we may
ensure that the viewing facility is available on the day.
Is the coffin
cremated with the body?
Yes. The IBCA Guiding Principles state that the container and
the body shall be placed in cremator and cremation commenced. The
coffin or container with the body inside shall not be opened or
otherwise disturbed, other than in exceptional circumstances, and
then only with the express permission and in the presence of the
Applicant for Cremation (usually the executor or next of kin).
How soon after
the service will the cremation take place?
The IBCA Guiding Principles state that the container and the
body shall be placed in a cremator and cremation commenced no later
than 24 hours after the service of committal. Where cremation may
not be carried out on the same day, the Applicant for Cremation
shall be notified.
This means that under normal circumstances the cremation is
usually carried out shortly after the service and certainly on the
same day. However, when a service takes place late in the day, the
cremation can take place the next morning.
How are cremated
remains kept separate?
A cremator can only accept one coffin at a time and all the
remains are removed from the cremator before the next cremation. An
identity card is used throughout the whole process until the final
disposal, thereby ensuring correct identification.
What happens
to the cremated remains after cremation?
Full information is available within these web pages -
see Your choice.
Can more
than one body be cremated at a time?
No, each cremation is carried out separately. However,
exceptions can be made in the case of a mother and baby or small
twin children, so long as the next of kin or executor has made this
specific request.
Are
coffins sold back to funeral directors for re-use?
No. The coffin and the body inside are cremated together. There
are occasions where the deceased or the family of the deceased have
opted for using a cardboard coffin in which their loved one will be
cremated. When this happens families often want to have a more
aesthetically pleasing coffin or container on the catafalque during
the service. Families therefore will opt for either a pall (a cloth
covering the cardboard coffin), or a 'cocoon coffin' (an outer
shell that covers the cardboard coffin). Neither the pall nor the
cocoon is cremated. It is important to understand that the pall and
cocoon do NOT contain the body of the deceased, they are simply
superficial coverings for a cardboard coffin.
Why are
graves dug so deep? (it's distressing to see the coffin go down so
deep)
Graves have to be dug to a sufficient depth to allow for future
burials to take place. Therefore the grave needs to be deep enough
to allow not only for the depth of coffins/caskets that will be
buried but also to accommodate legal requirements of undisturbed
earth to be between each coffin and the amount of earth that must
cover the last interment.
Why are
there so many different types of grave available at the City of
London Cemetery?
We have introduced a wide range of graves to give people as many
options as possible when arranging the burial of a loved one. For
many the lawn grave is considered to be the best option, but for
others burial above ground in our Catacombs is the best option. It
is really a matter of choice.
I have a
lawn grave. Why can't I put a full memorial over the surface of the
grave?
The lawn grave was designed on the war grave principle (to have
only a memorial of limited size at the head of the grave with the
rest of the grave laid to lawn). In this manner the limited area
available for burial is best utilised. In addition maintenance is
easier to accomplish with large mowing machinery being used to keep
the area in a neat condition. These graves are sold on the
understanding that only lawn style memorials are erected. Full
memorials are only permitted on Traditional graves, which are also
available at the City of London Cemetery.
Are
graves filled in straight after a funeral or are they left to the
next day?
Graves are prepared for burial at least one full day before the
funeral and are covered overnight. The IBCA Guiding Principles for
Burial Services states that immediately after the mourners have
departed the graveside, the grave shall be entirely backfilled and
made tidy. This work is completed on the day of the burial and
coffins are not left uncovered overnight.
I
understand that some people wait while the grave is filled in. Why
is this?
Some cultures require that the grave is filled in while the
family watch or they may wish to undertake the backfilling of the
grave themselves. When families want this it is essential that the
cemetery is made aware of their requirements when the burial is
first arranged. This will ensure that the family's wishes are
met.
Can
anyone witness the grave being filled?
Yes, but we need to be advised of this before the funeral takes
place so that we are prepared.
I've got a
lawn grave. When will I be able to put a memorial onto it?
With lawn graves, 'almost' immediately. You've probably heard
rumours that the grave needs to sink for a year, and so you must
wait for that time before putting up a memorial. This is not
strictly true with regard to lawn graves. With lawn graves the unit
into which the headstone will be fixed is in position at the head
of the grave before the funeral takes place. The grave itself will
continue to settle for many months but the concrete unit at the
head of the grave will not sink and is a firm foundation for the
memorial to be fixed into.
Why
have I only been sold the grave for a set period of time? - I want
the grave forever!
The law stipulates that graves cannot be sold for more than 100
years and we cannot go against that law. However, the law does
permit grant of ownership to be extended and we accordingly write
to owners every five years offering the opportunity to 'top-up'
their lease. In this manner, the grave can stay in the family for
as long as they wish, though ownership will never be issued for
more than 100 years at any one time.
I own
the grave - can anyone else be buried in it if I don't want them
to?
No. Graves cannot be opened without the permission in writing of
the registered owner of the grave. The only exception to this is
where the burial is to be that of the registered owner in which
case no written authority is required.
I
am told the grave is for two people - there is only one person in
the grave and I now want two more burials to take place in the
grave.
When a grave is purchased to take two full body burials, the
depth to which the grave is excavated for the first burial must
take into account the need for the second burial. There are legal
requirements as to how much earth must be left on top of the last
coffin, and it is therefore not physically possible to put an extra
coffin into the grave without breaking the law.
What
happens when the lease expires?
When you buy a grave you purchase the exclusive Rights of Burial
in that grave for a set period of time. Should you not renew your
lease options, then the exclusive rights of burial will eventually
run out. Every 5 years during the duration of the lease the
registered owner will be written to and offered the option to
extend the length of lease.
What
happens if / when all the owners have died?
Ownership of the exclusive Right of Burial in a grave can be
transferred from a deceased owner via that owner's estate. The
means of transfer can be very complex and while there is a set
procedure to follow, each case must be looked at individually. If
you need to transfer ownership when all owners are deceased you
will need to contact us.
Why
can't I have what I want on the grave?
When a new grave is purchased it is not the ownership of the
land itself that is purchased, but the rights to have burials take
place in that grave. These rights are sold, or to be more correct,
'granted' together with the rights to erect a memorial on the grave
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the City of London
Cemetery. There are many different types of grave within the City
of London and each permits a different type of memorial to be
erected upon the grave.
Why
is a permit needed?
Prior to a memorial being erected on a grave space, the written
authority of the owner of the grave must be given on the permit
form, authorising the proposed erection. Memorials need to conform
to cemetery regulations with regard to size and fixings, and the
memorial also needs to be checked for stability under health and
safety regulations.
I
want to bury cremated remains into the grave. Why do I have to
decide whether there will be any more burials before this can be
done?
It is against the law to disturb human remains without licence
(inculding cremated remains in a casket or urn), and therefore no
further burials will be possible in the grave until a licence has
been obtained. Cremated remains can be buried in the grave at full
depth, in which case they will not be disturbed by further full
body burials, but by having to excavate a grave to this depth there
will be additional charges for opening the grave.
I
need to buy a headstone. Do you recommend stone masons?
No, we are not permitted to recommend anyone.
Click here for more information about headstones. Do NOT
entertain any Monumental Mason who approaches you in the cemetery
or who calls to your home.