[Magdalen] cemetery plots...

[Michael Bishop]

Every one of my 8 churches has a burial ground - most of them dating 
back to medieval times.   In two of the parishes we have in recent times 
extended the churchyards to allow more space. In neither case did that 
cost us - in one case land was given to us by a churchwarden who is a 
local landowner - in the other the local Civil Parish Council purchased 
land to add to the churchyard and promised to pay all reasonable costs 
of maintenance. We take a ptide in maintaining our churchyards . In most 
cases they are maintained by volunteer labour. Of course as in any CofE 
churchyard, grave spaces are not purchased. A charge is made for the 
burial, but not for the ground which remains the property of the parish. 
It is possible to apply to reserve a space, but that is rarely done in 
my experience. I can only think of one case where that has been done in 
my 43 years of ministry, in 36 of which I have been responsible for at 
least 2 churchyards belonging to my churches. (As I said above, I am 
present responsible for 8)

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God bless

Michael Bishop
rev at michaelbishop.name

Rector of Boylestone, Church Broughton, Dalbury, Longford, Long Lane, Radbourne, Sutton-on-the-Hill & Trusley

Diocese of Derby, England

On 03/10/2014 09:05, Roger Stokes wrote:
> On 03/10/2014 04:22, Raewynne Whiteley wrote:
>> My parish has a cemetery. Assuming the costs includes perpetual care, 
>> it's
>> actually pretty low.  Cemeteries cost a surprising amount to run -
>> maintenance of grass, trees, roads, administrative costs, etc. We don't
>> buy back plots either, but will accept them back as gifts to be used as
>> graves for "paupers' burials".
>
> I am very grateful never to have had a church with graves in any 
> parish I have had.  The closest I have got is the Garden of 
> Remembrance  for cremains in my present place.  I know that they are a 
> pain for the priest and parish in all sorts of ways.  The fee for 
> burial in a churchyard in England is currently 258 GBP plus the cost 
> of digging the grave.
>
> A closed churchyard where there is no more space for burials can be 
> handed over to the local council to maintain but an open one has to be 
> a drain on resources.
>
> Roger, about to shut down and disconnect as the removal men will be 
> here soon.