Churchyard, Churchyard Policies, Monuments and Memorials.

Who may be buried in a churchyard, or have their ashes interred?

We are fortunate in St Audries not only to have a beautiful and well-maintained historic churchyard, but to have been beneficiaries of additional land which has recently been consecrated as a new churchyard - the Donkey Patch, which will serve the community of West Quantoxhead for many years to come.

Due to the very attractive aspect of St  Etheldreda's church and its  close proximity to the A39, we often receive requests for burial in the churchyard. However, unlike public cemeteries which are open to all, village churchyards are primarily there for the burial needs of local residents. 

There is strict criteria as to who may be buried  or have ashes interred in churchyards in England. These criteria are set out in the 1853 Burial Act  which is still effective today.

According to that Act, there is a legal right for anyone who was a parishioners at the time of death, or who died in the parish, or whose name at the date if death was on the church electoral roll (not to be confused with the civil electoral roll) to be buried, or have his or her cremated remains interred in the churchyard provided that the churchyard has space available and that it has not been formally closed for burial.

It therefore follows that there is no legal right for anyone who wasn't a parishioner, or not on the church electoral roll, or who did not die in the parish to be buried in the churchyard.

This is the position that is followed by the PCC of St Etheldreda's church.