Cemetery Management

Maintaining Purton Cemetery

Purton Parish Council is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Cemetery. In order that we may continue to maintain the current high standards we have implemented several policies.

A copy of our Rules and Regulations are available to download and view below

Click Here to view Purton Parish Council's Memorial Management and Safety Policy

PURTON PARISH COUNCIL SAFETY INSPECTIONS OF MEMORIALS INCOUNCIL CEMETERY/CHURCHYARD 
LOCAL AUTHORITIES CEMETERIES ORDER 1977HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT 1974 
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

that inspections of memorials, in Purton Cemetery controlled by Purton Parish Council, are to be carried out to assess the safety of memorials. 
The inspections will be carried out on a five year rolling programme to identify memorial that are an immediate hazard or unstable. 
This inspection programme will start on Monday March 6th 2023 and is anticipated to continue for approximately 2-4 weeks from this date pending weather. 
Where memorials are an immediate hazard the Council will place a notice at the grave and take action to remove the hazard by laying the memorial down. 
Where memorials are unstable the Council will place a notice on the memorial and temporarily support with wood stakes or bonding which meets the standards of the National Association of Memorial Mason and write to the memorial owner to carry out repairs to ensure the memorial is safe.
The Council will make every effort to recover the cost or making memorials safe when carrying out work in default, from the memorial owner. 
Where contact cannot be made, the headstone will be sunk into the grounds and made safe Full detail can be obtained by contacting the Clerk on 01793 771066 or emailing deborah.lawrence@purtonparishcouncil.gov.uk  or in person at Purton Parish Council, Council Offices, Village Hall, Station Road, Purton, Swindon,
Wiltshire SN5 4AJ  

Christmas wreaths, plants & ornaments

Every year we will remove Christmas related items from grave spaces and dispose of from 1st February. If you wish to keep any items that have been placed, please remove before this date.

Proposed new cemetery ground (updated 7th December 2020)

The Parish Council purchased a 4 acre section of land known as Long Ground, Church Street for the sole purpose of gaining planning permission to create a new Cemetery within Purton.  Our existing Cemetery has limited space and without this proposed new area, we would not be able to offer a burial service within Purton.  We have undertaken initial testing and a planning application will be submitted shortly.  The timeframe for permission, is approximately 18 months.  We aim to have a response from the application 2022.

If anyone has any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact the offices direct and speak to the Clerk.

Cemetery Regulations

The Cemetery Rules and Regulations allow the Council to continue to maintain the Cemetery to the current high standard. Any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact the Clerk of Council. Deborah Lawrence.

Access Regulations

Burials in Purton Cemetery

The Parish Council would like to draw your attention to its policy for burials in Purton Cemetery: The burial of persons who have been resident outside the Parish at the time of death will only be allowed in the following circumstances: when persons had moved away from the village for reasons of ill-health and in order for them to receive care, or where it is intended that the person be buried in the space remaining in an existing plot.
You can view burial fees below.

Index of Burial Register at 22nd March 2023, the register will be updated regularly.
To view the Burial Register for Purton Cemetery click the link below.
To search for a name download the document or open in browser and press Ctrl F
CLICK HERE

Burial Fees

Headstones St. Mary's Churchyard

Purton Parish Council are responsible for the maintenance of the outside space and provide grass cutting services.  The trees are managed under a strict tree maintenance policy and headstones are currently given a visual assessment regularly with safety adjustments made where we cannot contact the owners. If you have any questions or queries regarding the management of this area please call the office.

Head stones in Purton Cemetery

The head stones are checked regularly in line with memorial regulations to ensure they are safe, if they are found to be loose then every effort will be made to trace the family and also a note put on the headstone informing the grave tender that the stone needs attention. The cost of any remedial work should be born by the family of the deceased, if families cannot be contacted then, if deemed necessary for safety reasons, temporary supports will be placed around the head stone and eventually they will be dug into the ground.

Accredited Funeral Directors within the district

Johnson and Daltrey https://www.johnsonanddaltrey.co.uk/

Need to get in touch with the Council?