Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall	CHURCHYARD MEMORIALS Guidelines for the Churchyard of St Peter’s Bredhurst The booklet outlining the general rules can be obtained from the Parish Office. Or it can be viewed or downloaded from here: To save the file, right click the icon and choose “save target as”. In Firefox, right click the icon and choose “save link as”. Word Document Adobe Acrobat PDF document The original booklet on which this page is based was prepared by the Team Rector and PCC of the Parish of South Gillingham in consultation with Weir Memorials and Comfort Memorials PLEASE REMEMBER The rules governing monuments in churchyards are very restrictive. We now enforce them strictly. Most monuments you see in Council cemeteries would not be allowed at St Peter’s. Most monuments shown in Nationally advertised brochures would not be allowed at St Peter’s. We are not able to allow the erection of memorials to those whose ashes are interred in the garden of remembrance (where the interment is in an existing grave, a new or altered stone is permitted). The names of all those interred in the churchyard and garden of remembrance are entered into our memorial book. If you want to donate something as a memorial, see this guide. The guidelines contained on this page are additional to the Diocesan Regulations, which can be obtained from the Funeral Director or Stone Mason dealing with your enquiry. If anything in this document contradicts the regulations then the regulations give the correct understanding. A copy of the regulations is kept in the Parish Office, St Peter’s Vestry and on the churchyard noticeboard. It may be downloaded from here: Click here or on the picture To save the file, if using MS Internet Explorer, right click the picture and choose “save target as”. In Firefox, right click the icon and choose “save link as”. You will need Adobe Acrobat Local funeral directors and Stone Masons will know that they have to work within the bounds of the Diocesan Regulations and we recommend their services in preference to national companies. We hope that you will find these guidelines helpful to you as you make your choice of memorial stone and that together we can continue to preserve the beauty of our churchyard so that it will remain a place of peace and tranquillity, as well as a habitat for scarce plants and other wildlife. And we hope that by us all following these rules distress and disappointment can be avoided.	Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules
Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall	PROCEDURE A minimum period of six months should elapse between the burial of the person to be commemorated and the erection of a memorial. No work shall be carried out without the written consent of the Team Rector or their delegate (currently the Curate of St Peter’s). Applications should be made in the first instance on the standard application form CR1. This will include a full description of what is proposed, including design of monument measurements, materials, inscriptions and other relevant particulars. DIMENSIONS Headstones will be broadly rectangular in shape ( ogee, rounded and square tops are acceptable ) (See the Memorials page for pictures of other styles that have been allowed or go to the “What is not allowed” page)	Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules
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History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall	Headstones must be: .' No more than 1200mm (4'01') high measured from the surface of the ground. No less than 750mm (2'6") high measured from the surface of the ground. No more than 900mm (3'0") wide No less than 500mm (1'8") wide No more than 150mm (6") thick No less than 75mm (3") thick	Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base
Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall	BASE AND FOUNDATION SLAB Headstones may be so shaped that they can be inserted directly into the ground at sufficient depth to ensure stability. or they may be fixed to a base and foundation slab :- on an integral base not more than 900mm (3;Of') wide, nor projecting more than 50mm (2") in any direction, nor more than 22Smm (9") high; on a vase base not more than 900mm (3'0") wide, nor projecting more than 75mm (3") on either side, nor projecting more than 200mm (8")in front of the headstone; The base itself, measuring no more than 2500mm (10") overall from front to back, shall be securely fixed on a foundation slab of concrete which should be fixed flush with or just below the surface of the turf so that a mower may pass freely over it. The foundation slab shall extend beyond the base by between 75 to 125mm (3” to 5”) all round. A standard size of memorial stone may therefore be: 750mm (2'6") high x 600mm (2') wide x 75mm (3") thick with the base measuring 75mm (3") thick x 750mm (2'6") wide x2500mm (101') deep (ie. from front to back) These guidelines are designed to ensure safety. Stone Masons follow a professional code suggested by The National Association of Memorial Masons –NAMM and The Guild of Master Craftsmen -GMC. Note: Two concrete foundation slabs give more stability and are not so easily "shaken" or moved if someone puts weight on them.	Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules
	MATERIALS Please choose from Natural Weathering Stones, such as: Nabresina, Portland, York, Hopton Wood, Purbeck Slate is also allowed Your Stone Mason will have samples to show you We regret that marble and granite cannot be allowed.
Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall	SCULPTURE, DESIGNS AND FINISH Please keep plain and simple with the following in mind:- (a) no pictorial representations of the deceased or religious figures should be carved or sandblasted onto the stone (b) no photographs (c) no figured statuary (d) no stones to be in the form of an open book or heart (e) no kerbs, railings, plain or coloured chippings (f) the shape of a cross may be acceptable but a high standard of design is required (g) stones should not be polished Go to the Memorials page for examples of what is allowed Go to the “What is not allowed” page	Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules
	INSCRIPTIONS The Christian names and surname of the deceased may be given with age and date (or year) of death, or dates of birth and death. The wording of any epitaph must be approved by us. Lettering should be incised and be either left natural or coloured black or grey. We are NOT able to allow gilt lettering No advertisement or any trademark may be inscribed on any monument. However, the name of the Stone Mason may be inscribed low down on the side or reverse of the stone in unpainted and unleaded letters no larger than 15mm ( 112") in height
Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall	CARE OF THE GRAVE FOLLOWING BURIAL We strongly recommend grassing over the grave. We can arrange this for you if requested. Grassing over is the most attractive and most easily maintained option. Wreaths and cut flowers may be laid on a grave, but must be removed as soon as they have withered. No artificial flowers are allowed. Bulbs and small plants may be planted in the soil of a grave, but unless they are kept tidy, will be mown over. Trees and shrubs are not permitted and will be removed. No ornaments, statuettes or additional monuments of any kind may be placed on a grave at the time of burial and afterwards. Chippings are dangerous and are absolutely forbidden and will be removed. The Parochial Church Council reserves the right to remove anything from the churchyard which contravenes these regulations.	Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules
Home About St Peter’s Accessibility Bredhurst School Chapel Contact Us Directions Funerals History and Guide Letter from Kondoa Marriages Notices Pictures Registers Renewal of Vows Resources Sunday Services Village Hall	APPEALS In the event of the Team Rector or their delegate being unable to give consent to your application, you may if you wish, petition the Chancellor of the Diocese for a faculty Please contact the Parish Office to find out how to go about this. ENQUIRIES All enquiries to Rev Graham Lewis 53 Oastview Gillingham Kent ME8 8JG 01634 373036 grahamATbredhurstchurch.org.uk or Kelly Challis The Parish Administrator The Parish Office St Matthew's Church, Drewery Drive, Wigmore ME8 ONX Tel and Fax. 01634 231736 parish123ATtiscali.co.uk	Introduction Procedure Dimensions Base Materials Designs Inscriptions Care of the Grave Appeals Enquiries Chancellor’s Rules