Arranging a funeral and burial can be a daunting experience. The Council is here to help. You can find below information which will help you understand the practicalities of a burial and who does what.
ARRANGING A BURIAL
Burials can only take place during certain hours, as below.
| Winter (1 November to 1 March) | Summer (2 March to 31 October) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 0900-1430 hours | 0900-1600 hours |
| Saturday | 0900-1300 hours | 0900-1300 hours |
| Sunday | No burials | No burials |
| Christmas Day, Good Friday, Bank Holidays | No burials | No burials |
The date and time of your burial is dependent on the availability of your Minister for the funeral and burial ceremony, as well as other bookings at the cemetery. Your funeral director will liaise with your chosen Minister, and the Clerk to agree a suitable date and time. If you are arranging the burial yourself, please contact both parties to find a suitable date.
BURIAL PLOTS
Right of burial in Crickhowell Cemetery
The right of burial of a body in the cemetery is generally restricted to those who, at the time of death, had lived in Crickhowell for a continuous period of 15 years out of the last 25 or, in the case of a child under the age of 18 years at the time of death (or a stillborn child), where one or both of the parents meet the above requirement. This requirement does not apply to grave spaces already purchased.
The previous residence requirement does not apply to the burial of cremated remains in the Garden of Remembrance.
Allocation of a burial plot
Allocation of available grave space is subject to the decision of the Burial Board. The Clerk will usually assign the next-in-line plot for new graves, both in the main cemetery and the Garden of Remembrance.
Burial plots cannot be purchased prior to death, so a guarantee of burial in an adjacent plot to a family member cannot be given.
Purchase of burial plots
Ownership of and responsibility for the purchased plot remains with the next of kin of the deceased. After thirty years from the last interment in a grave, the Council has certain powers to remove memorials and level graves which may be exercised where the grave appears no longer to be maintained by the owner of the exclusive right.
Burial plots cannot be purchased prior to death, so a guarantee of burial in an adjacent plot cannot be given. If arrangements were made at the time of the first burial for a double grave to be dug, interment may be possible in existing plots with the permission of the holder of the exclusive right of burial. Not all available plots are suitable for double graves.
The Clerk will issue an Exclusive Rights of Burial certificate for newly purchased plots. This will be in the name of the next of kin.
FEES
In order to maintain the cemetery and make provision for future needs the Council must charge for burials. The charges fall into two parts: the purchase of a plot, and a further charge for each interment therein.
Charges for purchase of a plot
The scale of charges for purchase of a plot, last revised in July 2024, is as follows:
| For the exclusive right of burial for a period not exceeding 99 years in an earthen grave 7 ft x 4 ft | £900.00 |
| For the exclusive right of burial for a period not exceeding 99 years of cremated remains in an earthen grave 2 ft x 2 ft in the Garden of Remembrance | £450.00 |
| There is no charge for the purchase of a plot for a child under the age of 18 at the time of their death, or a stillborn child. | - |
At the discretion of the Burial Board, burial plots may be purchased for the interment of those who did not meet the previous residence requirement set out above at the time of their death. There is a sliding scale of charges in these circumstances as follows:
| Period of residence in Crickhowell at time of death | Purchase price |
|---|---|
| 0-3 years | £1,980 |
| 3-6 years | £1,810 |
| 6-9 years | £1,615 |
| 9-12 years | £1,390 |
| 12-15 years | £1,130 |
Charges for interments
The scale of charges for each interment (including the first) in a purchased plot is as follows:
| For the interment of a body in a grave | £300.00 |
| For the interment of cremated remains in a grave | £300.00 |
| For the interment of cremated remains in a plot in the Garden of Remembrance | £300.00 |
There is no charge for the interment of the remains of a child who was under the age of 18 at the time of death, or a stillborn child.
Charges for a grave digger
The fees above do not include the cost of digging and refilling graves, which must be arranged and paid for separately. The Council does not provide this service itself. Your funeral director will arrange this or you can contact the Clerk to request details of local grave diggers.
MEMORIAL STONES
No burial, erection of memorial stones or engraving of additional inscriptions onto monuments shall take place without permission of the Clerk.
Charges for the erection of monuments and other relevant cemetery rules
Gravestones, vases and tablets can be erected only on graves or plots in respect of which an exclusive right of burial has been purchased. A sketch giving details of gravestones, etc., to be erected must be sent to the Clerk for approval by the Burial Board before erection. All gravestones etc must be permanently marked with the number of the plot on which they are to be erected.
All new burials and interments must be marked by a wooden cross installed immediately following the burial. Such crosses are, however, only permitted as temporary markings (for a maximum 2 years).
| A headstone not exceeding 3 ft. in height | £285.00 |
| A flat stone level with the ground | £250.00 |
| A vase not exceeding 18 ins. in height | £125.00 |
| A tablet on cremated remains not exceeding 18” x 18” | £109.00 |
| A planter not exceeding 18" x 9" x 9" (in certain areas of cemetery only) | £109.00 |
No kerbstones around plots are now allowed. No gravel or chippings may be placed on a burial plot, and planting or other temporary decorations not falling within the category of a monument must be kept strictly within the curtilage of a plot. The Council reserves the right to remove objects and materials not complying with these rules.
Report an issue
Any correspondence or queries about the cemetery should be sent to contact@crickhowelltowncouncil.gov.uk for the attention of the Clerk.
FORMS
- Request to purchase the Exclusive Rights of Burial for a new burial plot in the main cemetery or Garden of Remembrance
- Request to bury a body in a grave
- Request to put cremated ashes in a grave
- Request to put a memorial stone on a plot
- Contact details for St Edmunds Church
- Crickhowell Cemetery Regulations and Policy