Buying a cemetery plot

All cemetery plots must be purchased prior to interment and with all memorial applications.

You may also be able to pre-purchase an interment plot within your chosen cemetery. Some cemeteries have limited space remaining so may not be available for pre-purchase.

You can find full details for pre-purchase availability on our buying a cemetery plot page.

On this page:

Cemetery plot options

For information on each cemetery's interment provision, visit our cemetery locations page.

Not all cemeteries provide our full cemetery plot options. Our cemetery plot options are:

lawn graves for burials and cremated remains
traditional graves which permit a memorial stone and kerb-set, for burials and cremated remains
cremated remains plots for cremated remains only
woodland graves for burials and cremated remains
woodland cremated remains plots for cremated remains only.

If you wish to use any of our memorial gardens, you will not need to purchase a plot. You will only need to apply to use the garden and pay the chargeable fee.

Buying the plot

Buying a cemetery plot means you purchase the Exclusive Right of Burial for 30 years, allowing the holder(s) of the right of burial to organise an interment (burial or cremated remains) within the plot or install a memorial stone on the plot.

This is also known as purchasing the Exclusive Right of Burial.

When you purchase the Exclusive Right of Burial you do not own the plot, you are purchasing the rights to use your plot. Once we receive your application and purchase fee, you will be issued with an Exclusive Right of Burial Deed of Grant.

Your Deed of Grant is proof of your right of burial and must be kept safe for future needs. Reissuing mislaid or lost Deed of Grants incur an administration fee.

Up to a maximum of three people may be joint holders. All holders listed on the Deed of Grant will need to give consent to all future interments and memorial applications.

You can specifically choose your preferred plot; however, this will incur a selection fee.

The purchase of the Right of Burial does not specify the number of burials that can be accommodated within the plot; this will be dependent upon the depth of the first interment, the size of coffin or casket and the ground conditions at the time of excavation.

The Deed of Grant will remain with the Holder(s) until the death of the last surviving person listed on the Deed. The Exclusive Right of Burial will then need to be transferred to the entitled claimant.

Whilst in your ownership, you may wish to make some changes to your right of burial. Some of these changes will incur an administration fee. Changes include the following situations:

requesting a change of details
reissuing a lost or mislaid Deed of Grant
surrender your cemetery plot
transferring the right of burial to another
purchasing additional years when your Exclusive Right of Burial is soon to expire (currently 30 years).

If you wish to buy a cemetery plot or wish to find out more about buying a cemetery plot, email the Cemeteries Office at cemeteries@nfdc.gov.uk or call 023 8028 5952.

You can download the application form to purchase your cemetery plot below. Purchase of Cemetery Plot Application Form (PDF, 791 KB)(opens new window)

Payment can be made by cheque, by card at our Information Offices or by phone. All applications must be completed in full and returned to:

Cemeteries Office
New Forest District Council
Town Hall
Lymington
Hants
SO41 9ZG

You may also be required to provide proof of residency to incur the resident fees. If required, you can download the Statutory Declaration as Proof of Residency form below.

Statutory Declaration of Proof of Residency (PDF, 156 KB)(opens new window)

Change of details on your Deed of Grant

All change of details stated on your Deed of Grant need to be amended. This is to ensure the cemetery records are accurate and correctly maintained.

For further information, contact the Cemeteries Office at cemeteries@nfdc.gov.uk or call 023 8028 5952.

Lost or mislaid Deed of Grant

If the Deed of Grant has been lost or mislaid, you need to complete a Statutory Declaration for a Lost Deed of Grant as proof of ownership. You can download this form below.

Statutory Declaration for a Lost Deed of Grant (PDF, 116 KB)(opens new window)

The Deed of Grant will be reissued and will incur an administration fee.

Your statutory declaration will need to be declared before a solicitor or Commissioner for Oaths.

Surrender your cemetery plot

If you wish to surrender the Exclusive Right of Burial to your unused cemetery plot, we may be able to buy back the plot and issue you with a refund of the original purchase payment, less the years of ownership.

You will need to provide the Cemeteries Office with the following in support of your surrender request.

A completed Deed of Surrender of Right of Burial form for each grave you wish to surrender.
The original Deed of Grant for each grave you wish to surrender
A short letter outlining your surrender instruction.

You can download the Deed of Surrender of Right of Burial form below.

Deed of Surrender of Right of Burial form (PDF, 297 KB)(opens new window)

Your refund quote will be calculated when we receive all the surrender paperwork.

Transferring Right of Burial when holder is deceased

All transfers will incur an administration fee.

An Exclusive Right of Burial forms part of the Estate of the deceased owner, which can only be transferred, for the remaining years on the Deed, to the entitled person(s). A legal transfer is required to enable any future interments and memorial changes.

There are a number of situations which require different ways to transfer your Exclusive Right of Burial. These are listed below.

Grant of Probate

In this case, ownership is transferred to the Executor(s) listed on the Probate.

You will need to complete a Deed of Assignment form to clarify and or elect the proposed new Holder(s). You can download this form below.

Deed of Assignment form (PDF, 352 KB)(opens new window)

Will only

In this case, ownership is transferred to the Executor(s) named in the Will.

You will also need to provide a completed Statutory Declaration for Will No Probate form. You can download this form below.

Statutory Declaration for Will No Probate form (PDF, 172 KB)(opens new window)

You also need to complete a Deed of Assignment form to clarify and or elect the proposed new Holder(s). You can download this form below.

Deed of Assignment form (PDF, 352 KB)(opens new window)

You can download guidance notes below to help you through this process.

Guidance notes (PDF, 723 KB)(opens new window)

Grant of letters of administration

In this case, ownership is transferred to the Administrators(s) named on the Probate.

You will need to complete a Deed of Assignment form to clarify and or elect the proposed new Holder(s). You can download this form below.

Deed of Assignment form (PDF, 352 KB)(opens new window)

Transfer has skipped a generation

In this case, you may not know whether the deceased left a Will or if Letters of Administration were issued. You can visit the GOV.UK website and use Find a Will service to answer this question. The person concerned can then purchase a copy to aid the transfer.

No will or if the will is not valid

The rules of Intestacy apply, as stated in the Administration of Estates Act 1925. In this case, you must submit a Statutory Declaration for No Will No Probate. You can download this form below.

Statutory Declaration for No Will No Probate (PDF, 118 KB)

You also need to complete a Deed of Assignment form to clarify and or elect the proposed new Holder(s). If the lawful next of kin of the deceased cemetery plot need to be clarified or identified, the GOV.UK Who Inherits service will help identify those who are entitled.

Guidance notes are available to help you through this process. You can download these below.

Guidance notes (PDF, 121 KB)(opens new window)

Give up your right

If any claimant wishes to renounce their Right, an Assent of Executor or Administrator form will need to be completed and returned with the Transfer paperwork. You can download this form below.

Assent of Executor or Administrator form (PDF, 237 KB)(opens new window)

The transfer process flowchart will help you through your transfer process. You can download this document below.

Transfer Process Flowchart (PDF, 196 KB)(opens new window)

All transfer requests need to be posted to the Cemeteries Office at:

New Forest District Council
Town Hall
Lymington
Hants
SO41 9ZG

Transferring Right of Burial when holder is living

If you wish to undertake an In-life Transfer and elect a new Holder(s) for the remaining years on the Deed, you will need to complete a Deed of Assignment form to clarify and elect the proposed new Holder(s). You are also able to retain the Right of Burial and elect additional Holders.

In both cases, you will need to complete a Deed of Assignment form to clarify your request. You can download this form below.

Deed of Assignment form (PDF, 352 KB)(opens new window)

All transfers will incur an administration fee.

Purchasing additional years

When your Exclusive Right of Burial is soon to expire, you are able to purchase additional years extending your owners.

For further information, contact the Cemeteries Office at cemeteries@nfdc.gov.uk or call 023 8028 5952.