Reservation of a grave space

The only way to reserve a grave space in a churchyard or a Church of England burial ground for the burial of a body or ashes is by obtaining a faculty from the Consistory Court. It is a privilege and not a right.

It is for the Chancellor of the Diocese to decide whether a petition shall be granted but the parochial church council may adopt a policy about who the council will support in making a petition to reserve a space.

To obtain the form of petition for a faculty click on the links towards the bottom of this page.
Before completing the petition discuss with the Minister (the Rector, the Vicar or the Priest-in-Charge) your request for the reservation of a grave space. Obtain from him or her:

a plan showing the churchyard and indicating precisely the position of the space you wish to reserve. The position should be marked in red on the plan. The plan should also show the direction of the north.
if the spaces in the churchyard are numbered, the number of the space you wish to reserve.
if the spaces in the churchyard are not numbered the plan must show precise distances from the plot you wish to reserve to at least two fixed points.

If the minister is unable to provide a plan, please prepare one yourself.

Please complete the petition as carefully as you can. Handwriting is often very difficult to read. Answer all of the questions and complete all of the blanks. Your petition will be delayed if it is not properly completed.

When completing the petition particular care should be taken of the following:

your full name should be shown on page 1 as the petitioner.
if the space concerned is numbered, the number should be added in the space at the end of (1) on page 1.
sign the petition at the bottom of page 1 and halfway down page 2.
attach the plan to the petition.

Take the petition to a solicitor or a justice of the peace. Complete your full name at the top of page 3 and add your signature. Make the oath in front of the solicitor or the justice of the peace. If the oath is made in front of a solicitor he will charge you a nominal fee. He will complete the section to show where and when you made your oath and will add his signature in the space provided.
Hand the petition to the Minister. He or she will complete the questions on page 2 and complete the section showing his consent on page 3.

The Minister will present the petition to the next meeting of the Parochial Church Council and the P.C.C. will pass a resolution approving or disapproving your petition. The Minister will then complete the form to record the resolution and will return that and the petition to you. Alternatively, the P.C.C. may consider your request before you complete the petition. For the form, click here.

Send to the Diocesan Registrar, Michelmores, Woodwater House, Pynes Hill, Exeter EX2 5WR:

The petition with the plan attached to it.
The form recording the P.C.C. resolution.
The fee. Currently the fee is £190.00. Cheques should be made payable to "The Truro Diocesan Registrar".

The Registrar will prepare two Public Notices. He sends them to the Minister who affixes them inside and outside the church for a continuous period of not less than 28 days. This gives to the public notice of your petition and allows objections to be made. At the end of the 28 day period, the Minister will return the Public Notices to the Registrar and certify that they have been properly exhibited.

The Registrar will then forward the petition to the Chancellor of the Diocese. If he grants it, the Registrar will issue the faculty and send it to you. He will also send a copy to the Minister.
It is a condition of the granting of a petition that you pay the sum of £70.00 for each proposed interment (so there will be a payment of £140 if there are to be two interments in the same grave space) towards the churchyard fund or church funds of the parish and you should pay this to the Secretary of the parochial church council when the faculty is granted.

After the faculty has been issued you must then mark the space in the manner you have specified in your answer to question 4 on page 2 of the petition. If this is not done, mistakes and confusion can occur which can cause great upset.

If you have any questions about the completion of the petition please write to or telephone Mr. Martin Follett, Diocesan Registrar, Michelmores, Woodwater House, Pynes Hill, Exeter EX2 5WR: Telephone 01392 687415 email mjf@michelmores.com or the Registry Manager Mr Alan Barr, Michelmores, Woodwater House, Pynes Hill, Exeter EX2 5WR: Telephone 01392 687421 email amb@michelmores.com.

Reservation of a grave space

Useful Information

Diocesan Information

Keep in touch…