Churchyards form part of our history. They matter to many people, especially those whose loved ones’ remains rest there, but they are also important to parishioners, historians, ecologists, visitors and others. They are consecrated ground, set aside for burials, and places for quiet contemplation and remembrance. To help protect their special character, from 1st August 2026 new Churchyard Regulations will apply across the diocese.
The Regulations are in two parts:
- Churchyard Memorial Regulations– these set out what memorials should look like (the permitted form, dimensions, material and colour of a memorial and any inscription). If a memorial meets these requirements then permission for its introduction, replacement, repair or alteration can be given by the Minister. If not, then a faculty will still be required.
- Churchyard General Regulations – these are intended to help parishes keep our churchyards in a worthy state so they cover: the right to burial in a churchyard, ownership and responsibility for memorials, and what items may be placed on graves,
To accompany the Regulations there will be:
- A Churchyard Memorial Application Form– this form must be used to erect a new memorial, replace or repair, or add to or amend an inscription on an existing memorial. [In due course we hope this process can be carried out electronically but for the time being please download this form for completion offline].
- An A4 Notice– to be displayed at the church; this specifically deals with which items may or may not be placed on graves. We hope this will be clear and succinct enough for visitors to our churchyards to understand what is expected and permitted.
- A Handbook for the Bereaved– to be given to bereaved families considering a churchyard burial. This comprises a condensed version of the Regulations and is intended to give bereaved families the information they need right from the start.
The new Regulations will take effect from 1st August 2026 but there will be a period of grace of three months to take account of memorial arrangements which are already underway.
Why are they necessary?
For over 50 years dioceses have developed their own sets of Churchyard Memorial Regulations with the result that what is permissible in one churchyard might not be permissible at a churchyard just a few miles away in a neighbouring diocese. That is not helpful to families living in one part of the country trying to arrange a memorial in a churchyard some distance away or to memorial masons who work across diocesan boundaries. Diocesan Chancellors have seen the need to introduce some consistency and uniformity across dioceses (whilst recognising that local stone types etc may dictate some minor differences). In 2024 the Ecclesiastical Judges Association Working Party into Churchyard Memorial Regulations produced a report outlining the way forward and providing templates to be adopted by all Church of England dioceses with as little ‘customisation’ as possible.
The new Churchyard General Regulations consolidate various guidance issued over the years concerning the upkeep of our burial grounds and they set out clearly (we hope) what is and is not permitted within them.
Consultation
The Regulations are the result of consultation between the Ecclesiastical Judges Association, the Church of England, the National Association of Memorial Masons, the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Lettering Arts Trust, the Chancellor of the Diocese, the Diocesan Registry, the Archdeacons, DAC officers, and representatives from clergy, churchwardens and local memorial masons (to whom we extend our thanks for their valuable input).
Training
We hope that the new Regulations and Application Form are self-explanatory but between September and November the Church Buildings Team will be delivering short training sessions as part of the scheduled Archdeaconry training days (York 3rd October, Cleveland 10th October, East Riding tbc).
