Cemetery Rights and Ownership
When you purchase a cemetery plot, it does not expire, and it will always be yours. While the cemetery retains ownership of the land, you are purchasing the right to use the land for a burial.
The Registered Owner of the Deed of Exclusive Right of Burial has the automatic right to be buried in the grave. They do not, however, own the land itself. The ownership of the cemetery land remains with the Council.
Grave Duration and Considerations
Graves usually last around one hundred years, often longer. Legally, graves cannot be sold for over 100 years in the UK. After a century, only teeth may remain in a grave.
Graveyard Management and Longevity
Cemeteries must serve the burial needs of contemporary communities, often resulting in older graves being disturbed for newer burials. How long a body stays in a grave can vary but bodies do not remain in graves forever as circumstances such as space limitations or family decisions may lead to relocations or deeper burials.
Final Resting Place and Conservation
Once a cemetery is filled, an endowment care trust handles maintenance of the grounds indefinitely. Cemeteries have introduced practices like leasing plots for up to 100 years before reuse becomes an option to address limited space concerns.