Thornbury Cemetery
Thornbury Cemetery, Kington Lane, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 1NA
Info@thornburytowncouncil.gov.uk
01454 412 103
The historic cemetery, established in 1897, is situated in a quiet and tranquil rural setting within a short walk of the town centre. Used by generations of Thornbury residents, it contains many local names from the surrounding area. A small team of staff led by the Cemetery Supervisor are responsible for the daily running and maintenance of the site, including plot openings and an annual planting scheme. The team care for the trees, shrubs and grassy areas, including pathways and seating which is provided for quiet contemplation.
We provide a burial, interment and scattering service for residents and those outside our boundary, all of which can be booked through our friendly staff in the office at the Town Hall. We deal with many local funeral directors and also residents directly; we can help talk you through the process if you are unsure of what is involved. Our experienced site team will assist professionally and compassionately on the day.
For plot owners who don’t live locally, or are unable to tend to their grave, there are options for grave maintenance to assist you. We can provide you with details for planting, weeding, light headstone cleaning, grassing over or installing kerbs and slate. We can also supply cast bronze plaques for cremated remains plots, which can be ordered through the office at the Town Hall, using the order forms below.
If you would like to arrange a burial or ask questions about pricing and how the process works, please get in touch.
Booking an interment or burial
Coffin burials are accepted between the hours of:
- Monday – Thursday 10am – 3pm during summer daylight hours
- Monday – Thursday 10am – 2pm during winter daylight hours
- Friday – 10am – 11:30am
Interment or scattering of ashes are accepted between the hours of:
- Monday – Thursday 9:30am – 3:30pm during summer daylight hours
- Monday – Thursday 9:30am – 3:00pm during winter daylight hours
- Friday – 9:30am – 12pm
Burials outside of these hours will be accepted only if a Coroner or Medical Practitioner certifies that immediate interment is necessary, in which case an additional fee will apply.
In cases of grave opening to accommodate another burial, funeral directors will be responsible for the removal and reinstatement of existing memorials, and these must be removed in time to give the grave digger at least five clear working days to dig and make ready graves for interment.
Unless interment takes place within 30 minutes of the time arranged, an additional fee will be payable.
Purchase of Exclusive Right of Burial is compulsory unless there is an existing Deed of Grant in respect of the grave space or cremated remains plot in question. Fees include the costs of the issue of the Deed of Grant.
Fees and residency
Fees and charges under these headings apply ONLY where the deceased was permanently resident within the boundaries of the town of Thornbury. Any person who had ceased to be a resident during the last three years immediately before their death, because of the necessity to move into a nursing home or hospital will not be charged double fees. If the council is unable to establish residency, then it will be the responsibility of the purchaser to provide the necessary proof.
In all other cases fees and charges are DOUBLE those shown UNLESS an Exclusive Right of Burial for the grave space or plot in question is already held.
Cemetery Fees From 1st August 2023
Interment
- Burial of adult or child over 12 years – £600
- Burial of child older than 6 months but under 12 years – £390
- Burial of still born child or child not older than 6 months – no charge
- Interment of cremated remains – £268
- Scattering of cremated remains – £100
- Additional fee – interment outside normal hours (Coroner or Doctor’s Certificate) – £195
- Additional fee – late arrival or over run – £50
Purchase of Exclusive Right of Burial
- Purchase of Exclusive Right of Burial in an earthen grave (80 year lease) – £995
- Purchase of Exclusive Right of Burial in an earthen grave in the Children’s Area (under 12 years of age, 80 year lease) – £650
- Purchase of Exclusive Right of Burial in the Cremated Remains Garden (plot 0.61m x 0.61m, 80 year lease) – £550
Memorial Fees
- Right to erect a headstone not 1.00m in height including base – £195
- Right to erect a headstone exceeding 1.00m in height including base (in Old Church Section only) – £300
- Flat or sloped tablet not exceeding 0.25m in height including base – £100
- Additional inscription – £100
- Replacement headstone – £100
Other Fees
- Bronze plaque 6″x3″ as memorial in cremated remains area, including fixing – £231
- Bronze plaque 6″x6″ as memorial in cremated remains area, including fixing – £330
- Record search fee (per search) – £36
- Administration fee for changing Exclusive Right of Burial ownership – £52
- Certified copy of Burial Register Entry – £52
- Exhumation – charged at cost + 10%
Memorials
- Memorials may only be placed on grave spaces in respect of which an Exclusive Right of Burial is held (and must be produced) and when the appropriate fee has been paid.
- Memorial designs and inscriptions must be submitted for approval.
- Kerb stones are NOT permitted in certain areas of the cemetery.
- No memorials other than the bronze plaques supplied by the Council are permitted in the areas for interment of cremated remains.
Any work on memorials, including fixing, restoration, or professional cleaning, must be undertaken by an accredited memorial mason working to current British Standard BS8415. A list of accredited masons can be found on the websites of the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons and the National Association of Memorial Masons.
Headstones will be subject to routine memorial safety testing by cemetery staff to ensure they continue to meet required standards of condition and safety. It is important that plot owners keep their contact details held by us up to date so that we communicate with you any changes in your headstone. Information on Memorial Testing at Thornbury Cemetery.
Although there is CCTV at the site, memorials are not covered against damage and vandalism so you should make your own insurance arrangements should you feel it necessary.
Grave Maintenance
On level grassed graves, grass is mown regularly to garden standard without charge. The following additional services are offered by the Town Council:
Service A
A cultivated area approximately 5ft x 1ft6ins is created, maintained and planted with bedding plants in season. The plot is weeded and tidied as required and grass is close trimmed around the edges of the cultivated area and memorial.
Annual charge: £175
Service B
A cultivated area is created, planted and maintained as in Service A, but in addition, the memorial is scrubbed and cleaned once annually.
Annual charge: £220
Removal of Mound and grassing over
For existing mounded graves, the mound is removed and the grave levelled. The area is then seeded/turfed so that it can be mown free of charge on an ongoing basis.
One off charge: £70
Decorative slate
This is a permanent and low maintenance solution to the upkeep of a grave and therefore no further interments can be made. The grave will be levelled, covered in weed control material and decorative blue slate chippings will be contained within sunken brick edging. A limited amount of weeding on the slates may be required as debris builds in between, but this is a lower maintenance option that the alternatives.
One off charge: £350
Removal of kerbs
Kerbs can be the cause of a number of maintenance problems and are not permitted in newer areas of the cemetery. For existing kerbed graves, the kerbs and slabs or chippings are removed and the grave levelled. It is then seeded or turfed so that it can be mown free of charge on an ongoing basis.
One off charge: price on application
Thornbury Town Council is a member of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, which means we work in line with their guidelines and best practice.