Your churchyard displays a variety of historic structures. The good management of your churchyard needs to take into account a range of issues, from the burial rights of parishioners (past and present) to the wildlife management of the churchyard.
Churchyard Maintenance
As a closed burial ground the responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of the churchyard rests with Bracknell Forest Council (Section 215 of the Local Government Act 1972). The Church however remains control over the management of the Churchyard.
Our environmental commitment
We believe we have a responsibility to safeguard God's creation and achieve a just world.
In recognition of the wildlife interest, the churchyard was entered into the Living Churchyards and Cemeteries Project in 2002 and received an Award in 2004. Work undertaken as part of the entry into the project has included monitoring wildlife, erecting bat and bird boxes and planting wildflowers. Despite its busy urban setting, the churchyard is a haven for wildlife. Over a hundred plant species are found here, including many traditionally found in churchyards, for example germander speedwell (Angel's eyes), snowdrops (Eve's tears) and greater stitchwort (Easter bell). The tombstones support lichens and mosses. Insects use the crevices present in many of the stones for shelter, and the stag beetle, an increasingly threatened insect which is listed on the Borough's Biodiversity Action Plan, has been spotted here. The oldest living organism in the churchyard is a veteran yew tree near the south gate. Its girth exceeds 13 feet and in February its male cones release drifts of pollen into the wind.
Internment of Ashes
It is at the discretion of the incumbent to permit the internement of ashes in the Churchyard. An application can be made if the deceased was resident in the parish and/or on the electoral roll of this Church. You may be asked to provide proof of address. The interment of ashes does not itself make the churchyard open again for burials, we remain closed to burials.
It is important to note that:
- The interment of human remains is final. Exhumation only happens in exceptional circumstances
- The bereaved must follow the diocesan churchyard regulations
- Memorials can only be introduced in line with the regulations or with a faculty. That means that the size, materials and wording of any memorial have to be within the parameters of the regulations
- There is no automatic right to a memorial. Permission must be given before it is put in place
- Additional items are not always permitted depending on the terms of your diocese’s regulations (e.g. photographs, toys, windmills, etc)
Churchyard Regulations
The Churchyard regulations are a framework of rules shaped by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Oxford, that narrate the way in which the departed are commemorated in churchyards. The regulations are developed after consultation with the archdeacons of the diocese, the DAC and the diocesan registry. The framework of rules acts to achieve a balance between the need for individuals and families to mourn and to commemorate those they love and the needs of the community as a whole, including the needs of others whose relations and friends are also buried in the churchyard. The current Churchyard regulations can be found here.
Nobody can introduce a memorial into a churchyard as a matter of automatic right. Permission is always needed. Because churchyards are consecrated land, authority over them belongs to the consistory court of the diocese and the judge of that court, the Chancellor. But there is a long-standing practice where the Chancellor delegates authority to the minister with cure of souls – the rector, vicar, priest in charge – to grant permission for memorials which meet the requirements of the Churchyard Regulations.
Application to introduce a memorial
To apply to introduce a memorial into the churchyard the applicant must complete this form.
The application will need to include a description of the proposed monument or ledger stone detailing its size, design, materials, finish and inscription (including the style of lettering to be used).
The applicant must also provide: –
(a) a sketch, plan or marked-up photograph of the churchyard showing the position of the plot, and
(b) a sketch of the design of the proposed monument or ledger stone.
In the case of a monument, the applicant must provide details of the depth to which the monument will be inserted into the ground to ensure its stability (unless it is to be supported by a pre-cast concrete shoe situated below the ground).
Repairs to Monuments
As a matter of law, monuments are the property of the person who erected them, so long as that person is alive; and after that person has died, they become the property of the heir at law of the person commemorated. But the law is not simple. ‘Heirs at law’ is an ancient concept, and they are not always easy to trace. However, it is a requirement of section 3 of the Faculty Jurisdiction Measure 1964 that the relevant person should be contacted (or reasonable attempts made to contact/notify them) to seek their consent, as the owner of the object, to the proposed works.
This work will require faculty permission. To apply please complete the following forms and return them, along with the appropriate fee to the Diocesan Registry.
Cleaning of Monuments
This requires faculty permission. It is a specialist job which should be undertaken with care.