Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I reserve a grave in any Cemetery managed by the London Borough of Hounslow?
A: It is not possible to reserve a grave in any Hounslow Cemetery. Graves are only available to purchase at the point of arranging a burial. This protects the availability of burial space for our customers at the point of need. Grave reservation ceased in 2019 and will not be reinstated.
Q: How can I be buried with my loved ones if I cannot reserve a grave?
A: When purchasing a grave at the time of arranging the burial, you can request to have the grave excavated for a depth of more than one burial. This ensures that you can be buried together. This request needs to be declared on the application for interment prior to the first burial taking place. Depending on the cemetery, graves can be prepared for a depth of two, three or four full coffin burials. Each burial will be covered with a minimum of 6-inch-deep layer of soil between each coffin, so when the grave is reopened for the next burial, the previous burial remains completely undisturbed. The applicant for interment stated on the interment form will be the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial, giving that person the authority to decide who can be buried in that grave. The owner also gains an automatic right the be buried in that grave when the time comes (subject to space).
Q. Can the Exclusive Right of Burial have more than one owner?
A. Yes. Please declare prior to the burial taking place that the grave lease will have more than one owner, as fees are determined by both residency status and the depth the grave is prepared for. All co-owners will share the rights equally and must all complete an application form before any burial or memorial work can be carried out. People who wish to be buried in the same grave should be joint owners.
Q: If I am the registered owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial – do I own the grave?
A: No. You buy the 'Exclusive Right of Burial' for the grave, which means that you lease the grave space and are granted the right to bury a person of your choice in the grave for the duration of the lease. The grave itself and all the grounds of the cemetery remains under the ownership of the Local Authority. Lease periods are for 60 years from the time of purchase.
Q: What happens when the lease on a grave has elapsed?
A: At present, you may extend the lease on a burial plot for a further 10, 20, 30 or 40 years for the fee applicable at that time. The extension can be requested when you are within the final ten years of the existing lease.
Q: Does the ownership of the grave automatically transfer to next of kin after the grave owner dies?
A: No, there is a legal process to follow when the owner of the grave lease dies. Please contact the Cemeteries Office and we can advise you of the transfer process. You will find some general information about the routes that can be taken to enable a transfer of ownership on the Cemeteries page. Fees apply.
Q: The owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial has died away and is to be buried in the grave that they owned – Does a Transfer of Ownership need to take place first?
A: No. The owner of the 'Exclusive Right of Burial' of a plot has automatic right of burial (subject to space). Therefore, no transfer of ownership is required for owner burial. However, if any new or amendments to an existing memorial is to take place, or any further burials or burials of cremated remains, then a transfer will be required, as only a living registered owner can apply for a memorial or any subsequent works.
Q: How can I arrange for a memorial to be installed?
A: Only the legally registered owner/s of the 'Exclusive Right of Burial' can commission any memorial work to be carried out on a plot. Please contact a Memorial Mason for any memorial works required. Memorials masons must be registered with NAMM or BRAMM and with the Memorial Masons’ Registration Scheme operated by the London Borough of Hounslow. Memorial applications must be submitted by a registered Memorial Mason and the memorial can only be installed when the approved permit has been issued by the Cemeteries Office and upon receipt of the appropriate fee.
Q: Who is responsible for the memorial on a grave?
A: Whilst the burial authority (The London Borough of Hounslow) is responsible for maintaining the overall safety of the cemetery, the registered owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial is responsible for the memorial, and for ensuring that the memorial is well-maintained and is structurally safe.
If a memorial owner fails to ensure their memorial is structurally safe, the London Borough of Hounslow may instruct our contractors, Lampton Greenspace 360, to take action to make the memorial safe. If a memorial is identified as being unstable and poses a risk of falling and injuring someone, it might be cordoned off, laid flat or otherwise made safe with a temporary support. A sign will be placed on the grave for the attention of the grave owner to contact the Cemeteries Office and take action.
When a memorial poses a danger, the Cemeteries Office will attempt to contact the registered grave owner with the contact details held on record. It is the grave owner’s responsibility to arrange a suitable repair. For further information please contact the Cemeteries Office on 02085832090 or cemeteries@hounslow.gov.uk
The Council will not be responsible for any damage to memorials or gravestones by storm, wind, lightening, subsidence, vandalism or acts of a third party. The memorial owner is strongly advised to check the warranty provided by their memorial mason at the time of purchase and it is always advised to insure a memorial against accidental damage and vandalism.
Q: Why am I not allowed to put any item of my choice on my loved one’s grave?
A: As well as being a place of peace and reflection, Cemeteries are also public spaces and working sites, so it is important that standards are in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff, and to ensure that any memorial item is appropriate, dignified and in keeping with the Cemetery environment.
You can view our full Memorial Regulations
Q: What type of graves are there?
A: Traditional Graves – Traditional graves are graves where a headstone and kerb set is permitted. Maximum memorial dimensions and material and installation regulations apply.
Lawn Graves – Lawn graves can only have a headstone or similar. Full memorials are not permitted on Lawn graves. Maximum memorial dimensions and material and installation regulations apply. A small planting area of 2’6” x 2” is permitted immediately in front of the headstone. The remainer of the grave space must be grassed only.
Q: Can I choose a grave?
A: Graves are allocated by the London Borough of Hounslow and are not available for selection.
Q: What are the costs associated with having a burial?
A: There are two main costs involved with organising a burial in a new plot:
First is the 'Exclusive Right of Burial' for the plot and that fee is based on the residency of living owner. The Council retains ownership of all land within the cemetery, but as the registered owner of the 'Exclusive Right of Burial', you have the automatic right to be buried in the grave and can arrange for others to be buried in the grave (space permitting).
The second fee is for the interment of the deceased in the grave. This fee depends on the residency status of the deceased as well as the depth required for interment.
In addition, there are other potential fees that may be chargeable, such as out of hours burial charges, extra width coffin fees. A full list of fees and charges are listed on our website.
Q: How do I arrange a burial of Cremated Remains?
A: A burial of cremated remains can be arranged directly with the Cemeteries Office or through a Funeral Director if preferred. Only the registered grave owner can make the application, except for when it is the grave owner who’s cremated remains are to be buried.
We require:
- For the applicant or the Funeral Director to contact us to agree the time and date for the burial of cremated remains
- A completed Notice of Interment
- The Certificate of Cremated Remains (this is issued by the Crematorium along with the Cremated Remains).
- Evidence of residency of the deceased if a resident of the Borough of Hounslow.
- All paperwork and payment must be submitted at least 5 working days prior to the burial.
On the day, please bring the Cremated Remains with you. The grounds team will lay to cremated remains to rest in the prepared grave opening, or if preferred you can do this part yourself. Once those attending are ready to leave, the grounds team will backfill the grave.
Q: Can I scatter Cremated Remains on a grave?
A: Only the registered owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial can make an application to have Cremated Remains (Ashes) scattered on a grave, except for when it is the registered owner’s cremated remains to be scattered. To book, please contact the Cemeteries Office and submit the information as for a burial of cremated remains (outlined above) :
- Complete an application for interment (select the ‘Scatter Cremated Remains’ option on the front of the form) and submit it to the Cemeteries Office along with the Certificate of Cremated Remains and the appropriate fee for registration in the records. It is not necessary for a member of cemetery staff to be present unless you are unsure of the location of the grave, as this will require confirmation. There are no general memorial gardens where cremated remains can be scattered in our cemeteries.
Q. What is the difference between a consecrated and an unconsecrated grave?
A. A consecrated grave has been blessed by a Bishop of the Church of England. Consecrated graves are available in Borough, Hatton, Hounslow, Chiswick New and Bedfont cemeteries.
Unconsecrated plots have not been blessed by any religion and are available in Borough Bedfont and Hatton Cemeteries.
Hatton and Borough cemeteries have unconsecrated sections allocated for the Muslim community that are orientated towards Mecca.
Q: If the soil on a grave has sunk, who is responsible to top up the soil?
A: For 12 months from the date of burial, the London Borough of Hounslow will top up the grave to ground level. After this time, it is the responsibility of the grave owner to ensure that soil surface of the grave is level.
Q: Why have items been moved from my loved one’s grave, or the grave covered?
A: If a burial is taking place in a grave close by, it may be necessary for operational and safety reasons to remove memorials or other items from a neighbouring grave and cover that grave. This is stated in the Memorial Regulations issued at the time of purchase of Exclusive Right of Burial. If this action is necessary, a notice will be placed on the affected grave by Lampton Greenspace 360 to advise grave owners of their actions and to reassure that the grave will be reinstated to its usual condition once the burial has taken place. Please note that due to the short time frame surrounding many burials, it may not be possible for the Cemeteries Administration Team to trace grave owners to give them prior notice.
Q: Who is responsible for the maintenance of the Cemeteries, such as cutting the grass and emptying the bins?
A: All operational work in the Cemeteries, including site maintenance, is carried out and managed by Lampton Greenspace 360. The Cemeteries Administration Team are not responsible for grounds maintenance. If you wish to report a maintenance issue in a Cemetery, please contact Lampton Greenspace through the online reporting tool below:
Report a maintenance issue in a Cemetery
