The Churchyard of St.Cosmus and St.Damian in the Blean

The churchyard at Blean church is actively maintained and much visited. Burials of ashes are now carried out alongside the new Memorial Walk, which is located on the southern side of the church in the prettiest and most historic part of the churchyard. Ashes are buried directly into the ground, and - with permission - small granite memorial plaques may be ordered.

Families with established family graves or plots may, instead, choose to have ashes buried in these. In 2017 the cost of a burial of ashes ceremony (whether at the Memorial Walk or elsewhere) which includes the prayers of committal and the actual burial was approx £201. This is based on a Statutory Fee of £151, plus £50 for the work involved with the preparation of the burial plot. We can advise about procedures for getting a memorial plaque made and installed.

The unauthorised scattering or burying of ashes in English churchyards is not permitted.

Tending of Graves and Burial Plots

In order to preserve the appearance and atmosphere of the historic churchyard for everyone's benefit there are strict rules governing gravestones, memorials (including inscriptions) and other items in the churchyard. In all cases, permission must be sought for their installation before the stonemason gets to work, and fees may be payable.

The formal Churchyard Regulations are on display in the Church Porch and can also be found at the bottom of this Web page. Other information can be found here: https://www.canterburydiocese.org/churchyards/

The History of Blean Churchyard

Blean churchyard is surrounded by metal 'park fencing'.

The earlist part (which is closest to the church building and known as the 'old churchyard') is likely to have been originally established within the surrounds of a Roman villa, which had been built in the vicinity as it is within the ditch or moat of the 'villa', which is still clearly visible. In this area are the earliest graves and headstones (along with the recently established Memorial Walk).

By 1914  the old churchyard was probably nearly full and a 'new churchyard' area was started north of the villa site, to the left of the main churchyard gate as you enter from the church car park.

The whole churchyard was surveyed by students of the Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham in about 2001 as a training exercise and all the headstones were registered under the Global Positioning System (GPS). Our churchyard plan is therefore reasonably accurate.

Database

The churchyard records are divided into two with the approximate lines of the old churchyard headstones and graves noted with double letters (AA,BB, .. etc) and the new churchyard lines of graves and headstones noted with single letters (A,B, .. etc). Regrettably the records of the old churchyard are limited to the details of the headstones in the area which can be deciphered.

The records of the new churchyard are, we believe, complete as we were fortunate enough to have been given the records of the original gravedigger of that area. A copy of the churchyard records has been placed in the church, on the shelf below the table by the north door, and visitors are encouraged to make comments and suggest amendments to this copy as they are able.

An exercise to record individual headstone details has still to be done - any volunteers?

Click here to download a copy of the “New Churchyard” lines of graves and headstones document in pdf format.

Click here to download a copy of the “Old Churchyard” headstones and graves document in pdf format.

Upkeep

The churchyard is regularly mown and weeded by contractors and tidied and trimmed by volunteers and we try to make it a place for remembrance and peaceful contemplation as well as preserving the beauty of nature as God provides.

CHURCHYARD REGULATIONS 2015

Regulations issued under the authority of

Morag Ellis QC

Commissary General of the City and Diocese of Canterbury

in consultation with the Diocesan Advisory Committee

1.         No object may be introduced into the churchyard without the written permission of the Minister in accordance with Regulations 3, 4 or 5 or of the Commissary General of the Diocese.

2.         No burial, interment or memorial is permitted within four metres of any exterior wall of a church. 

3.         This Regulation concerns burials. The Minister may grant permission for the introduction into a churchyard of a memorial provided that the following conditions are met:

1. application for the introduction of the object is made in writing to the Minister on the standard “Application under Churchyard Regulations” form, such application to be submitted to the Minister at his or her usual address and
2. application is made no sooner than six months after the date of the relevant burial and
3. a memorial is in the form of a stone or wooden cross or headstone at the head of a grave and meets the requirements of paragraphs (d) to (o) below 
4. the following materials are permitted: unpolished Portland, Purbeck, York or Nabrasina marbles, Celtic Limestone, slate, honed pale grey granite, oak or teak. Other forms of unpolished stone may be permitted at the discretion of the Minister.
5. subject to paragraph (f) below, the size of a headstone or cross and base falls within the dimensions set out in either Tables 1A and 1B or Table 2 as follow:

            Table 1A: Headstone

            Table 1B: Headstone Base

Height above Ground              Width                   Depth

Imperial          Metric             Imperial    Metric       Imperial   Metric

Maximum       6”         150mm           38”            97cm        12”         300mm

Minimum       3”         75mm             22”            56cm          7”           18cm  

            Table 2: Cross

In the case of a timber cross the minimum thickness permitted is 1.5 inches (40mm)

(f)     a memorial for a child aged under 16 years at the date of death may be smaller than the standard sizes specified above at the discretion of the Minister.

(g)       kerbs, railings or chippings, whether raised or at ground level, are not permitted.

(h)       moulded figure work is not permitted.

(i)         the inscription on a memorial should contain the names of the deceased, the date of his or her death, and the date of birth or the age at death.  All factual material in the inscription must be accurate.

(j)         the words to be inscribed on a memorial or any emblem, badge or other design, must be appropriate in the opinion of the Minister (and any necessary third party permissions obtained). 

(k)        photographic reproductions are not permitted.

(l)         all words inscribed must, in the opinion of the Minister, be clearly legible and the overall layout and design set out suitably.  

(m)      any infilling of lettering and other designs shall be of grey matt finish or earth colour enamel and, in the opinion of the Minister, shall be in harmony with the material from which the memorial is made. 

(n)       no advertisement or trademark is permitted. If the name of the craftsman who produced the memorial is inscribed on the memorial, it shall be on its side or reverse only, in lettering similar to the main inscription and not more than 15 millimetres in height. 

(o)       the anchorage of all memorials must be in accordance with the best practices of the industry and must comply with current Health and Safety Regulations. 

4.         This Regulation concerns the interment of ashes. 

(a)       Biodegradable containers shall be used save where ashes are placed directly into the ground without a container. 

(b)       Individual memorials are only permissible in principle where the Faculty authorising the setting aside of an area for the interment of ashes so permits. In such cases the Minister may permit the marking of any individual interment by means of a tablet if the following conditions are met:

                  (i)         application for the introduction of the object is made in writing to the Minister on the standard “Application under Churchyard Regulations” form, such application to be submitted to the Minister at his or her usual address and 

            (ii)        application is made no sooner than one month after the                                 date of the relevant interment.

(c)        In addition to the conditions in Regulation 4(b), the following conditions concerning form, size and type of stone must be met: 

            (i)         in a case where the Faculty authorising the setting aside                   of an area for the interment of ashes has specified the                  form and or size of memorials, the memorial is in the                            specified form and or size or

            (ii)        in any case where the Faculty authorising the setting aside of an area for the interment of ashes permits the      placing of individual memorials but does not specify the      form and size of such memorials, the memorial is to be in      the form of a tablet not exceeding (21’’x 21’’) 525       millimetres x 525 millimetres and

            (iii)       in any case where the Faculty authorising the setting aside of an area for the interment of ashes has specified any permitted stone or stones, the memorial is of a permitted stone or

            (iv)       in any  case where the Faculty authorising the setting aside of an area for the interment of ashes permits the placing of individual memorials but does not specify the type of stone permitted, the memorial is to be of unpolished Portland, Purbeck, York or Nabrasena marbles, Celtic limestone, slate, honed pale grey granite, oak or teak, or another form of unpolished stone at the discretion of the Minister

(d)       In addition to the conditions in Regulation 4 (b) and (c), the following conditions concerning the design of memorials must be met:

            (i)         the inscription should not exceed four lines of text       including the names of the deceased and dates of birth    and death, save that nine lines of text are permissible in           the case of a double interment. All information must be             accurate.

            (ii)        the words to be inscribed on a tablet and any emblem,            badge or other design must be appropriate in the opinion         of the Minister (and any necessary third party      permissions obtained).

            (iii)       photographic reproductions are not permitted.

            (iv)       all words inscribed must, in the opinion of the Minister, be     clearly legible and the overall layout and design must be     set out suitably.

            (v)        any infilling of lettering and other designs shall be of grey     matt finish or earth colour enamel and, in the opinion of       the Minister, shall be in harmony with the material from             which the memorial is made.  

            (vi)       the name of any craftsman, trademark or other advertising may not appear on the tablet.

5.         This Regulation concerns flower containers. The Minister may grant permission for the introduction into a churchyard of a container for flowers provided that the following conditions are met:

            (a)       in the case of a flower container which is to be set in the       base of a memorial, its top will not protrude above the      level of the base or

            (b)       in the case of a flower container which is to be buried in the ground immediately in front of the memorial, its top           will not protrude above ground level and

            (c)        if the flower container is to be placed in an area where there are cremated remains, a Faculty has provided for     tablets to be placed over individual interments. Such a container must either be incorporated into the tablet or           buried in the ground within the plot, in such a way that it will not protrude above ground level or project beyond the plot itself.

6.   This regulation concerns artificial flowers. Artificial flowers may be permitted for a temporary period by the Minister. Rose bushes and      other shrubs shall not be planted on individual graves.

7.   For the purposes of these Regulations, ‘Minister’ means the Incumbent     of the Benefice in which the churchyard is situated or, where rights of          presentation are suspended, the Curate licensed to the charge of that             parish or the Minister acting as Priest-in-Charge.

8.   In the exercise of any discretion under these Regulations, the Minister     shall have regard to the current version of the Churchyard Guide.

Morag Ellis QC

Commissary General of the City and Diocese of Canterbury

December 2015