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Buying and owning a grave

Buying and owning a grave

Burial plots in Brent

Normally, your funeral director will help to make the necessary arrangements for buying a grave.

However, if you are making your own arrangements you can contact us and we will assist you with the process.

Like many other London and city councils, we have limited grave space in our cemeteries. At present, there are no new burials at Paddington Old Cemetery and both Alperton and Willesden New Cemetery are almost full.

Grave location viewing

Although we can’t offer a pre-selection service, we can arrange for you to view where the grave is located and you can decide whether to choose a front row grave (which can be more expensive) or a space located near trees or car parking spaces.

If you would like to view the section of the cemetery where the burial is to take place before the funeral, contact us and we will arrange for a member of staff to meet with you on the site.

Buying a burial plot

When you purchase a grave plot, we will send you the Exclusive Right of Burial (also known as the deed). This will include the details of the grave owner, the cemetery, the burial section, the plot number and the timescale of the deed. In Brent, the rights of burial are leased for 50 years.

Once you receive your deed, keep it in a safe place as you will need it if you want to arrange any future burials in this grave.  We cannot provide a copy of the Exclusive Rights of Burial.

Number of burials in a plot

Typically, each plot can hold two full burials (also known as interments). However this can vary depending on the nature of the ground in each cemetery.

In addition to your maximum number of full burials, you can usually also bury up to six additional cremated remains.

Change of address

If you are the registered grave owner and you move house, it is your responsibility to contact us with the change of address details. This allows us to update the grave register should we need to contact you.

Grave ownership is not automatically passed on to the next of kin. If the owner of the grave passes, ownership of the grave will need to be transferred to another person. A transfer of ownership will need to be completed and witnessed by a solicitor or Commissioner of Oaths.

We can help you through this process. There is a fee to transfer the right of burial.

New memorials, additions to original memorials or burials, except that of the original grave owner, are not allowed until the rights of burial have been transferred.

Contact the cemeteries team

Address:

Cemeteries Service
Environmental Services
Brent Council
Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
HA9 0FJ

Phone: 020 8937 5733

For all burial, transfers, memorials, searches and grave related enquiries.

Online: Cemeteries enquiry form

If you require an urgent burial during bank holiday closures, a Registrar is on standby between 8am and 10am.

Please call 0208 937 1010 for our out-of-office telephone message which provides the mobile number you should contact.

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