The diocese has strict regulations concerning the type of grave that can be placed in churchyards. The regulations are there to ensure some consistency and tidiness in appearance, to make maintenance as easy as possible and to observe health and safety requirements. These regulations have been in force for a number of years and have been updated this year. A copy is on the notice board in the church porch. Some important points in the regulations are: no curbing of stone, wood or any other material; no chippings, gravel or pebbles; no plastic items of any sort; no inscriptions that have not been approved; no trees, hedges or bushes.
A number of graves recently put in the churchyard do not conform to the required standards. We have to ask those responsible for maintaining these graves to modify them so that they are in line with the regulations. We shall be contacting the people concerned in the next few weeks but there is no need to wait for this before making the necessary changes.
Churchwardens