Question: How do I buy a grave?
Answer: There are two different ways you can buy a grave in one of our cemeteries:
We can allocate the next available grave to you, or if you prefer to have more of a choice regarding the location of the grave, we can arrange for you to meet the Cemeteries Inspector in the cemetery who will show you the graves available. There is a fee for this meeting.
The person/s wanting to buy the grave will be asked to complete and sign a form so that we can register them as the formal owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial (this can otherwise be referred to as grave ownership).
There is a fee to buy a grave and this varies depending upon the size of the grave and which cemetery the grave is in. Please refer to our current fees list.
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Question: How many people can own a grave?
Answer: One grave can have a maximum of three registered owners of the Exclusive Right of Burial. As the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial you have the automatic right to be buried in the grave you have purchased, so it is important that you register yourself as the owner when buying a grave if it is intended for yourself when the time comes.
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Question: What is a grave owner allowed to do to their grave?
Answer: The person buying the grave (Exclusive Right of Burial) is the only person that can apply to the Isle of Wight Council (the Burial Authority) for burials and burials of cremated remains to take place in the grave, and for scattering of cremated remains to take place under the turf upon the grave.
The owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial is also the only person that can apply for a permit for any memorials or headstones to be erected upon a grave, subject to cemetery regulations and payment of the relevant permit fee.
Only hard stone memorials are permitted. Any items made of glass, ceramics, plastic, paper, cardboard, pottery are strictly forbidden.
It is important that you let us know about any burials, burials of cremated remains, scatters of cremated remains and placing of memorials BEFORE any money is spent to ensure what you have planned is permissible within cemetery regulations.
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Question: What are a grave owner's responsibilities?
Answer: As the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial for a grave you have the responsibility of ensuring the grave and any memorials erected upon it are well maintained at all times and that they do not present any risks to cemetery visitors, contractors or staff. Memorials installed or placed upon the grave must fall within the cemetery regulations; any items upon graves which do not comply with the regulations set out by the Isle of Wight Council will be removed without exception.
It is a legal requirement that the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial informs the Isle of Wight Council before any burials or scatters take place and before any memorials are put onto the grave. This helps us to keep our statutory records up to date.
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Question: What do I have to do to put a memorial on a grave?
Answer: The grave owner should first select a registered stonemason who will make and erect the memorial for them. The grave owner must complete and sign a Memorial Application form, which their chosen stonemason will be able to provide.
A permit fee will need to be paid to your stonemason; these fees vary depending upon the type and size of the memorial being erected on the grave (refer to the current fees and charges list).
Bereavement Services will assess the memorial application before issuing a permit to the stonemason. The stonemason cannot erect any memorials on any graves until they have the permit to carry out the work.
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Question: Can I put a headstone or memorial on a grave that has just been buried in?
Answer: Memorials and headstones cannot be put onto a grave until at least twelve months have passed since any burial has taken place. The reason for this is to give the ground time to settle after the burial to minimise any ground movement when the headstone is eventually erected. A temporary wooden cross no taller than 2ft in height can be erected for a maximum of one year immediately after the burial; the formal memorial application process must still be followed. Bereavement Services, your funeral director or stonemason will be able to provide you with a temporary wooden marker for a fee.
Memorials and headstones can be erected on graves where a burial of cremated remains has just taken place because the grave has not been excavated as deeply, so the ground does not require the time to settle. The formal memorial application process must still be followed.
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Question: What if something happens to my memorial / headstone?
Answer: Placing a memorial upon a grave can be costly and for this reason we recommend that grave owners insure their memorials and headstones. Headstones and memorials can be insured against many scenarios such as damage, theft and subsidence, this gives reassurance that the investment in placing a memorial is protected.
Memorials are installed upon graves at the grave owner's own risk. The Isle of Wight Council do not accept any responsibility or liability for any damage, subsidence, vandalism, theft or any other event beyond its control that may occur.
If you think your grave or headstone/memorial has been maliciously damaged or vandalised we recommend that you take photographs as soon as possible. Report the incident to the Police online or by dialling 101 (especially if it seems to be a recurring problem) and make a note of the incident number. Email bereavement.services@iow.gov.uk with the photos and the incident number so we can record the incident and monitor the cemetery.
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Question: What is the Exclusive Right of Burial (EROB)?
Answer: Not many people realise that ownership of a grave (legally known as the Exclusive Right of Burial or EROB) is a legal Right purchased for a period of years by the ‘owner’ giving them the Right to apply for burials to take place in a grave and for stone memorials to be erected upon the grave. When you buy a grave in a local authority cemetery you buy the Exclusive Right of Burial and not the land itself. This is a legal ownership which is subject to the laws made by the UK government in the Local Authority Cemeteries Order 1977.
The owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial is the only person permitted in the eyes of the law to request for burials to take place in a grave and for memorials or headstones to be erected on a grave.
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Question: Why would grave ownership need to be transferred?
Answer: When the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial dies, this ownership needs to be transferred to a living owner.
It is a legal ownership, if it is not transferred the law prevents us from allowing any future burials, burials of ashes, scatterings of ashes and headstones & memorials cannot be erected.
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Question: How do I transfer the grave ownership (Exclusive Right of Burial)?
Answer: The Exclusive Right of Burial is transferred via the deceased grave owner’s estate. It doesn’t matter if they died many years ago or very recently, the ownership must still be transferred, and the process is still the same.
Bereavement Services will ask for legal documentation relating to the deceased’s estate, such as a Will, a Grant of Probate, etc (this varies depending upon the deceased's estate) or the person dealing with the matter might be required to visit a solicitor's office to sign paperwork under oath. Sometimes a solicitor will charge a small fee for this, sometimes not. Bereavement Services will provide all necessary paperwork and forms.
In the first instance anyone wanting to transfer the ownership of a grave must email bereavement.services@iow.gov.uk. Please do not visit the Bereavement Services office without making an appointment first; it is a very busy office and coming in unannounced often ends in disappointment.
Anyone emailing about transfer of grave ownership should make sure they know the answers to these questions:
· Did the deceased grave owner leave a Last Will & Testament?
· Do you have a Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration for the deceased’s estate?
· Were you a named Executor / Executrix (female executor) on the deceased grave owner’s Will?
· If there was no Will, does the deceased have a living spouse (by marriage or civil partnership) or children?
A transfer fee is payable to Bereavement Services (Isle of Wight Council) for the transfer of grave ownership. Payment should be sent to Bereavement Services with the signed forms; payment can be accepted by cheque, credit/debit card or bank transfer. (See current fees and charges list for the fee).
It's really important not to worry about this process!
Many people feel overwhelmed when given this information and it can feel like it is an obstacle you could do without. Bereavement Services do understand and want to help guide you through the process, so it is as stress-free as possible.
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Question: How do I find out where someone is buried?
Answer: Bereavement Services have a searchable website containing all burial and cremation records www.iw-bereavementservices.co.uk.
This website can be used to search by entering the deceased's name. Burial or Cremation register entries and maps can be purchased via the website.
Bereavement Services can carry out a manual search for a fee (see current fees and charges list), however other time dependent work will take priority over these search requests and cannot be carried out immediately. Please email bereavement.services@iow.gov.uk with the FULL NAME of the deceased along with the date or year of death and the cemetery name.
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Related LinkHas this FAQ answered your query? Question: Can a cemetery chapel be used for a funeral?
Answer: The chapels in the following cemeteries can be used for funeral services:
Carisbrooke (Mountjoy) Cemetery - seats approximately 40
Northwood Cemetery - seats approximately 50
Ryde Cemetery - seats approximately 30
Ventnor Cemetery - seats approximately 30
A fee is payable (see the current fees list) to use the chapels, and the date and time of the funeral must be booked into the Bereavement Services diary by the funeral director.
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Question: Are there any cemetery volunteer groups?
Answer: Yes there are, as follows:
Carisbrooke, Newport and St Pauls Cemeteries:
Friends of Newport & Carisbrooke Cemeteries - https://www.foncc.org.uk/ or search for their page on Facebook
East Cowes Cemetery:
Friends of East Cowes Cemetery - https://www.friendsofeastcowes.co.uk/
Northwood Cemetery:
Friends of Northwood Cemetery - https://www.friendsofnorthwoodcemetery.org.uk/
Ryde, Binstead & Ashey Cemeteries:
Ryde Social Heritage Group - https://rshg.org.uk/
Ventnor Cemetery:
Friends of Ventnor Cemetery - search for their page on Facebook
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