Guide for Churchyard Memorials

Each Memorial is as unique as the individual, whose life we are celebrating, because of this, we follow a process to ensure that you receive a Memorial of the highest standard.

STEP ONE

Shape

Select the shape of the memorial stone from our collections (in line with the diocese rules and regulations):

Classic Shapes

Distinctive Shapes

Childrens

Plaques

Vases

Or alternatively speak to us about our bespoke service if there isn’t a design that suits your requirements.

STEP TWO

Size

Select the size of memorial that you require (in line with the churchyard regulations)

STEP THREE

Material

Select the material that you wish the memorial stone to be made from.

Ordering the Stone/Slate/Granite (this is usually a honed surface for most churchyards), some churches will only accept certain materials please check with a member of our team for up to date information about what materials are allowed in your churchyard.

We import/procure the best quality granite, slate, marble and stone from all over the world as well as the UK.

Depending on the type of material you have chosen, this can take anywhere between 5 – 18 weeks.

Please be aware, that during certain parts of the year, imports can be affected by weather, which is the reason we are unable to commit to a guaranteed date for completion.

STEP FOUR

Ornamentation

Select the ornamentation you wish to use on your memorial stone from our large collection or suggest something of your own that our design team can work on for you. (Please speak to a member of our team to find out what is allowed in your churchyard, unlike cemeteries churchyards are very specific about what ornament you can place on a memorial).

At this point we will ask you to place the order.

STEP FIVE

Inscription Layout and Approval:

All great inscriptions reflect the spirit of the person to whom it is dedicated, which can take time to put together.  For a lot of clients, this can be a difficult process, which we are always on hand to help and advise you with.

Once we are in receipt of your draft copy, we will arrange for a copy of the layout to be sent to you.

The final approved copy, free of any mistakes must be dated, signed and returned to us as this is the copy that the Stonemason will work to.

Please be aware, we will only accept hard copies, (scanned signed copies via email is acceptable). Often there are multiple drawings, so this avoids any confusion.

STEP SIX

Lettering

Choose the type of lettering that you would like and work with our designers to find the best solution for the type of stone you have chosen. As with ornamentation the colour of lettering in churchyards is limited to a light grey for granite and the black or brown for stone memorials. Please check with a member of our team to find out what is allowed in the specific churchyard.

STEP SEVEN

Permit Application Process:

We will apply for permission to supply & fit/carry out renovation works on your behalf to the local diocese, once we have your final copy of your inscription and design of your memorial.

Some Authorities have a very fast turnaround, but some are run by volunteers and can take longer to process and approve.  Please be aware that we are unable to proceed with any order until an approved signed permit has been returned to us by the local parish.

Please note, there is a separate Churchyard application fee, charged by the local diocese.  This is separate to our prices and can vary from Churchyard to Churchyard so once we are in receipt of your order, and if you require installation by us, we can advise you of this cost for application to the diocese and upon receipt of payment and as the local authority approved mason we must apply on your behalf.   Where we are not installing for you, your local mason will be able to advise you on the Churchyard application fee and apply on your behalf.

STEP EIGHT

Proceeding to the Workshop:

Our designers will produce a mock up of your chosen design combination for you to check.  Once we are in receipt of a signed drawing, approved permit and the stone has been ordered, we are ready to send the full order/instruction to the workshop, at which point we will ask for any outstanding balance to be paid.

It is common for the material to still be in transit at this point.

STEP NINE

Your Fitting Date:

We will be in touch with you once we have a scheduled date, this is usually to request that you mark the grave for identification.   The workshop and fitting team, work to week commencing dates.

STEP TEN

Completion:

You will receive notification that we have completed your commission.  We are more than happy to arrange for a photograph to be emailed to you, it it is difficult for you to get out to visit.  A final receipted invoice and a copy of your Certificate of Compliance outlining the guarantee will be posted directly to your address.

MATERIALS

The materials we use for your memorial are made from natural resources excavated from all over the world.

The most dense of these materials is granite which is hard wearing and can be polished to a high finish.  The composition of granite is mostly quartz and feldspar but there are other minerals such as iron that make up the rest of the composition.  We most commonly use a Black Granite from India which has a fleck of iron ore as part of its composition.  It is common for the size and density of fleck to vary from one memorial to another and any sample we provide will only be indicative of the material that we will use for your memorial.  This is the same for all of the natural materials that we use.

We also manufacture memorials in Portland Limestone and York Stone which is a local Sandstone from our base in Yorkshire.  The Portland Limestone that is used for memorials is from the Jordans Basebed of the quarry.  The material is white/cream in colour and even though it has small grey shell fragments in the material it is the cleanest of the Portland Limestone products.  The shelling that is evident is dispersed evenly throughout the stone.  The finish on the stone is a rubbed, honed finish which will dull down over time.  Because it is a natural material any sample we supply is only indicative of the material and the material used for your memorial may differ slightly in tonality and composition (clusters of shelling or larger pieces of shelling).  This is not deemed as a fault and is part of the natural composition of the material.

York stone is the other most widely used material for our memorials.  Seen in Churchyards for many years it is a tight grained, carboniferous sedimentary rock. The stone consists of quartz, mica, feldspar, clay and iron oxides.   It is a lot warmer in tonality than Portland Limestone and being a sandstone is softer and lends itself to hand carving.  As with both granite and limestone its composition of various minerals means that although in general it is a clean looking material there can be fossils or larger pieces of quartz evident.  This is part of the natural composition and is not considered a defect.

Whatever material you choose please speak to our team for advise on what the most suitable material is for your requirements.