City of London
Cemetery and Crematorium
at Aldersbrook
Brochure
The City of London Cemetery is a
Grade I listed landscape
2
Contents
Key information
Page 3
Key Information
Page 4
Introduction
Page 5
History of the Cemetery
Page 6
Our Commitment to you
Page 7
Facilities
Page 9
Burial
Page 10
Burial options
Address and contact information
City of London Cemetery and Crematorium
Aldersbrook Road
London
E12 5DQ
Tel: 020 8530 2151
Fax: 020 8530 1563
[email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
Page 11
Service times, Music options
Page 12
Chapels
Page 13
Private Graves
Page 18
Public Graves
Page 19
Baby Garden
Page 20
Heritage Graves
Page 21
Caring for your Grave
Page 22
Memorial Management
Page 23
Cremation
Page 24
Cremation options
Page 26
Chapels for Cremations
Page 28
Music and visual options
Page 29
Choices after a funeral
Page 31
Our Memorial Garden
Page 36
Green burial of Ashes, Graves for Ashes
Page 37
Urns
Page 38
Book of Remembrance
Page 40
Grave Transfers
Page 41
Funeral reception facility
Page 42
Recycling of metals and materials
Page 44
Genealogy
Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
Opening times
Winter: 1 October to 31 March
9am to 5pm every day
(except Christmas and Boxing Day – 3.00pm closing)
Summer: 1 April to 30 September
Monday – Friday inclusive 9am to 7pm
Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm
NB: please note that the last entry into the grounds is 30 minutes before closing time
and that no cars are admitted after 1pm on Sunday.
Office opening times
Monday – Friday inclusive 9am to 4pm (except Bank Holidays).
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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History of the Cemetery
The City of London Corporation acquired the land occupied by the Cemetery and
Crematorium in 1854 because of the overcrowding in the City’s churchyards.
The site in East London covering 200 acres was originally the location of Aldersbrook
Manor which was situated on the main route from London to Colchester (Romford
Road). The Manor house was never quite on the scale of nearby Wanstead Manor but
it was an estate, occupied in the early sixteenth century by Sir John Heron, treasurer of
the Chamber to Henry VII and Henry VIII, and later by his son Giles who married the
daughter of Sir Thomas More. The House was demolished in 1786 by its then owner Sir
James Tylney Long of Wanstead Park and much of the land forming the south of Epping
Forest and Wanstead had been turned over to farming.
Introduction
The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium at Aldersbrook is a beautiful Grade I
listed landscape in the heart of East London, which has been serving the community
since 1856. Our 200 acre site provides a picturesque, safe, park like atmosphere for
thousands of visitors 365 days of the year, and offers beautiful formal gardens, well
maintained roadways, tree lined avenues and local heritage.
We are one of the largest municipal cemeteries in Europe and anyone may be
buried here irrespective of City connections or religious/cultural beliefs. Our site is rich
in architecture, ecology, geology, horticulture and history, and we have the honour of
being the first Cemetery to be awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award, the national
standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales.
We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and ensuring that we have a range
of options for all. This brochure outlines the unrivalled services we offer, what is available
and gives a guide to what to consider when arranging a funeral. Should you have any
questions please do not hesitate to contact our Bereavement Services team (number
and email shown below) and we will be happy to help you. More information is also
available on our website.
The land was purchased in 1854 by the City of London from Lord Wellesley, a relative of
the Duke of Wellington. Under the direction of Lt Col William Haywood, The Commissioner
of Sewers, the Cemetery was cleverly landscaped and then opened in 1856. The plans
included two chapels – one for Anglicans and one for Dissenters, and consecrated and
un-consecrated ground for burials. Much the same as today, the site was designed to
cater for all elements of society. The catacombs were built into the eastern end of the
former lake and the grand entrance the Cemetery’s Gatehouse was designed to make
every visitor feel as if they are entering a different world. This remains as a spectacular
and iconic feature today.
Following the Cremation Act of 1902, London’s first municipal Crematorium was designed
and built on the site and opened 1904. Due to Cremation being a relatively new and
strange concept, the option was slow to be taken up and by 1910 there had been
fewer than 70 services, which is in stark contrast to today where over 70% of our services
are Cremations.
For more information about the history of the Cemetery see our website or purchase ‘The
Cemetery in a Garden – 150 years of the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium’ by
David Lambert which is available from the Cemetery Administration Office.
The Cemetery and Crematorium is provided by the City of London which is a uniquely
diverse organisation, in that it not only promotes and supports the City and provides it
with a full range of services but also, provides wider services for London and the nation
as a whole.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Our Commitment to you
The City of London is committed to providing excellent customer service and
maintenance standards.
We are committed to achieving excellent standards when it comes to grass cutting,
maintenance of general flower beds, provision of our grave care scheme and caring
for our Memorial Gardens area. For more detail about what we guarantee please see
our website. Our professional, committed and dedicated staff are more than pleased to
help all visitors, you only need to ask.
Facilities
Cars
We have plenty of parking for those visiting to attend a funeral, please check with
our Information and Security team upon arrival and you will be directed to the most
convenient place to park your car. We ask you to please observe our regulations with
regards to speed limits within the Cemetery.
All other visitors will require a car permit to enter, drive around and park in the Cemetery.
Please ensure you have applied for a relevant permit in advance of your visit.
Please note private cars are not permitted into the Cemetery on Sundays (after 1pm),
except those attending funerals. We provide a free regular minibus service at weekends
(with full disabled access) from the main gate for all visitors; please ask a member of our
Information and Security team at the Gatehouse for more information.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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We have a number of facilities within our grounds, these include:
Burial
Facilities in our grounds
Burial
• A permanent and visible Information and Security team
• Administration Office – where our Bereavement Services team is located
• A funeral reception facility onsite – see Ernie Turner Centre on page 41
• Grave Care Scheme – we can help you look after your grave, see page 21
• Gatehouse Pantry – serving refreshments 365 days a year
• Gatehouse Florist – offering a range of flowers and other services
• Plenty of car parking
• Toilets throughout the grounds
• Baby changing facilities
• Shelters and seating
• Lots of water points
• First Aid provision
• Maps for visitor navigation
• Literature about the Cemetery
• Details and information about our heritage/wildlife walks
• We are open 365 days of the year
Facilities for disabled visitors
The following facilities for disabled visitors are available on request (please let us know in
advance by contacting the Bereavement Services team):
• Wheelchairs and mobility scooters may be borrowed from the Information and Security team at the main Gatehouse
• For those with a hearing impairment, all our chapels and a desk in the Administration Office are fitted with an induction loop
• A Crystal Listener is available for use in our Administration Office (with or without
a hearing aid)
• Our service books are available in Braille
• Some Cemetery literature is available in large print upon request
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Burial
Burial options
Service times
The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium has been providing first class burial
options since 1856. We pride ourselves on ensuring that the process is as efficient and
smooth running as possible as we know that such decisions can be difficult, especially at
a time of bereavement. Our Bereavement Services team are available to advise you in
person, in writing, by telephone or by email so please do not hesitate to contact us if we
can provide further information.
The City of London can host and conduct burials between 9am and 3pm every day
of the week and 9am until 12 noon at weekends. These times reduce slightly during the
winter months due to available daylight. The cost of your interment includes a 30 minute
service in one of our chapels (if you require this option). You should allow for 15 minutes to
move from the chapel service to the area of the grave and up to a further 30minutes for
the graveside service.
We have a wide range of options, for any budget, and anyone may be buried here
irrespective of faith or the area in which you live. We have Graves available in our
woodland, lawn, traditional and catacomb areas.
For available service times please ask your Funeral Director to check and arrange this
directly with the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium. We try our very best to
accommodate all requests and requirements.
Please use this section of the brochure to decide which style of burial and grave you
would like and other factors such as lease periods, heritage grave options and the types
of memorial permitted in each area. A current Scale of Charges can be accessed
online or enclosed in this brochure as a separate leaflet.
Music options
Choosing a grave with a lasting memorial is an important decision and we strongly
suggest you visit the Cemetery to view the types of grave and areas available before
you make your final decision. Please call our Bereavement Services team to book
an appointment.
During an appointment, we will ask you to choose the area in which your loved one will
be buried. It is important to note that you will not be able to select the actual grave as
graves are allocated two days before the actual burial. If you would like to come and
see the final grave position please make sure you arrange this with your Funeral Director
and the Cemetery Bereavement Services team in advance.
Throughout this section there is a reference to the maximum number of burials in each
type of grave. Please note that the actual number of burials may vary according to the
ground selected and prevailing weather conditions.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
Music can often be a very important part of any funeral and we feel that it is important
that this side of the service is completely taken care of for you. At the City of London we
have a state of the art digital music system and a database that can cater for any taste,
requirement or style. Any track can be played in any of our chapels. If you request a
piece of music that is not in our existing database, your Funeral Director can try to
secure it with our music supplier as long as they have at least 48 hours notice before
your service.
The standard service time in any of our chapels is 30 minutes, during which you can
choose up to three pieces of music to be played and this should all be arranged
through your Funeral Director in advance of your service. The normal format would be to
have one piece of music played as you enter the service, one during the committal and
one when you exit. If you book a longer service, then more music can be played, but
please note there are additional charges for this option. We strongly discourage bringing
tapes, CDs or DVDs on the day and ask that you arrange all music with your Funeral
Director in advance of the service.
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Burial
Different Types of Grave
Chapels
Private Graves (also known as purchased graves)
Church
The Anglican Church is located at the end
of Church Avenue on the left hand side
as you enter the Cemetery. This newly
renovated and beautiful gothic Grade II listed
building is primarily used for burial services
and can accommodate around 90 seated
mourners. This building has full disabled
access, a hearing loop, an electronic organ,
music system and a PA system for larger
congregations and is supervised by an
experienced member of our team.
Private Graves are those where the ‘Rights of Burial’ are owned by an individual or small
number of people (usually a close relative of the deceased). A lease is available for a
fixed period of time during which the owner(s) may decide who may be buried in that
grave and give permission for any memorial work to be carried out.
If the lease expires and is not renewed, the Rights of Burial revert to the City of London.
When an owner dies, they automatically have the right to be interred in their own grave,
and to have an inscription on an existing memorial (as long as this work is carried out
on site and no other work is carried out). If the owner dies and subsequent burials are
to take place, a new memorial is to be erected or an existing memorial needs to be
removed for the inscription, the ownership must be transferred beforehand – please
contact our Bereavement Services team to arrange.
NB: It is important to note that change of ownership of your grave does not automatically
pass to the next of kin or executor.
When securing this type of grave ownership it is important to provide all names in full,
including middle names where applicable. Difficulties may arise later, for example, if an
owner completes a permit for monumental work and the details provided do not match
those in our Private Grave Register.
Chapel
The non-conformist Chapel is located at the
end of Chapel Avenue and can be seen from
the main Cemetery Gatehouse. This bright
and non-religious grade II listed building has
a circular seating pattern and can be used
for burial services, pre-funeral ceremonies
or rituals and can accommodate around
70 mourners. This building has full disabled
access, a hearing loop, an electronic organ,
music system and PA system for larger
congregations and is supervised by an
experienced member of our team.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
Before purchasing a grave it is important that you fully understand our rules and
regulations. Memorial specifications vary according to the type of grave, and some
styles have more restrictions than others. For further details please see our Rules and
Regulations document which is available online www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery or
enclosed in this brochure as a separate leaflet.
There are many different types of grave available at the City of London Cemetery,
details are on the next few pages.
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Burial
Private Lawn Grave
This type of grave can accommodate up to
two burials and up to a maximum coffin /
casket size of 213cm x 76cm (7’ x 2’6”). The
grave is turfed and has a small garden space.
A concrete ‘lawn unit’ is provided and the
memorial is cemented into this to make it
secure. The only adornment allowed in this
area is a free standing vase plate that may
be placed within the garden space directly
in front of the headstone. Please note large
memorials are not permitted in this area –
you should select a Large Lawn Grave if you
require this option.
Private
Conservation Lawn
Grave
(available from 2012)
This grave can accommodate up to three
burials. This is a lawn grave but located in our
conservation section which means that all
memorials have to be of a light colour.
Private Woodland
Grave
The private woodland graves can
accommodate two private burials within
our natural woodland area. There are no
memorials of any kind in this area, so please
bear this in mind when selecting this option.
Private Large
Lawn Grave
This grave can accommodate up to two
burials. This is similar in concept to the
standard lawn, but suitable for much larger
coffins or caskets. There is a wider choice
of memorials permitted in this area with a
maximum height of 4’ (122cms). This is located
in our conservation section which means that
all memorials have to be of a light colour.
Private Traditional
Non Constructed
Grave
This type of grave can accommodate up
to four burials. A concrete landing is placed
directly on the ground and a substantial
memorial (up to 152cm or 5’ high) can be
erected on top of the grave landing.
Private Traditional
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Burial
Part Constructed
Grave
Private Graves for
Burial of Ashes
This type of grave can accommodate up
to four burials. Before a concrete landing is
installed, a concrete sleeve and two courses
of brickwork are laid to provide a solid
foundation for the grave. This removes the
possibility of subsidence later on and allows a
substantial memorial to be erected on top of
the landing.
We have specific areas within the Cemetery
providing private graves for the burial of ashes.
A headstone may be erected and each grave
can hold up to ten urns or caskets. Please
consult our Bereavement Services team for
what options are available.
Private
Conservation
Traditional Grave
This type of grave can accommodate up
to two burials. This is a traditional style grave
with a landing and kerbs but is located in our
Conservation area therefore all memorials
have to be of a light colour.
Private Vault Fully
Constructed
Catacomb
Our catacomb is an impressive semi-circle
gothic structure in the centre of the Cemetery.
The structure contains chambers that can
accommodate one interment each. This
option is perfect for those who do not wish
to be buried in the ground or who wish to
consider a different burial option. You need a
specifically designed coffin or casket and this
is sealed into the chamber with a memorial
tablet. Please consult your Funeral Director
or our Bereavement Services team for more
information on our catacomb options.
This type of grave can accommodate up
to four burials. The grave is fully lined with
reinforced concrete, with two courses of
brickwork on top to support the landing. A
substantial memorial can be erected on this
type of grave.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Burial
Public Graves (also known as un-purchased graves)
This type of grave is where the City of London owns the ‘Rights of Burial’ and unrelated
people are buried in the same grave. There are currently two different types of public
grave available at the City of London:
Public Lawn Grave
This type of grave will be used for up to six
burials. Once the grave is complete we erect
a memorial which states the name, age and
date of death of all those interred within.
Baby Garden
We have a dedicated Baby Garden designed to provide an area of peace and
tranquillity for you to reflect and remember. This beautifully landscaped public burial
area has a specially renovated memorial angel which stands in memory of all
children. There is a facility to allow the placement of cut flowers, a pergola walkway
around the landscaped flower borders and memorial walls which allow each family
to dedicate a commemorative plaque to their loved one.
If you would like to view the Baby Garden area or have any questions about the type of
burial in this area, please contact our Bereavement Services team.
Public Woodland
Grave
Situated in a beautiful natural woodland area
in the Cemetery. There are no memorials
erected in this area and it is one of our more
natural or green options. There may be up
to three unrelated interments in each grave.
There is also an option to have a private grave
in our woodland area.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Burial
Heritage Graves
You will see when you visit the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium that we
have some beautiful older and more traditional grave areas. These areas are often
located in primary areas and have stunning memorials, and many of the graves
within them have leases that are now extinguished. The City of London Cemetery and
Crematorium have a Heritage Programme that conserves the traditional heritage
of these grave areas, but allows new families to lease existing graves and re-use the
monuments already on them. This gives you the option of perhaps obtaining a more
substantial grave whilst preserving the history of our site. For more information on what
heritage graves are available and what the options are please make an appointment
with our Bereavement Services team.
Caring for your Grave
We provide a scheme where we look after your grave for you. This includes options like
planting seasonal flowers or thrift, or we can wash, weed or renovate your memorial
depending on what your needs are. Prices for these services vary depending on the
type, size and condition of your grave. Please see our website for our Scale of Charges,
have a look at the leaflet enclosed in this pack or contact our Bereavement Services
team for more details.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Burial
Cremation
Memorial Management
Following a new burial here at the City of London Cemetery we will mark your grave with
a wooden peg showing the grave number, grave reference and the surname of the
deceased. If it is likely to be some time before the memorial is placed on the grave you
can purchase a temporary marker and this can be placed on the grave for one year,
while you choose your memorial or gravestone. Please take your time in choosing an
appropriate inscription and any other features you might like such as a photograph. We
advise you to consider whether you will require further interments and inscriptions when
you are selecting your memorial.
Cremation
The City of London does not offer an in-house masonry service but can advise you
regarding masons who are permitted to work on our site. We require that all memorial
work on our site is undertaken by qualified and accredited monumental masons.
We recommend you obtain quotations from several companies and thoroughly check
our regulations about what type, style, colour and size of memorial is permitted in the
area of your grave. Generally speaking, a memorial should be made of a solid stone
such as granite, marble, limestone or Portland stone. Although we inspect and approve
each memorial, we do not guarantee the workmanship or materials used, so you should
ensure that you are happy with what you have ordered and received and that it meets
our rules and regulations.
Please note, the grave owner is responsible for the maintenance of the memorial, and
should the stone become unstable or dilapidated, steps may be taken to lay it down,
remove it or ‘make it safe’.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Cremation
Cremation options
The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium has been providing first class Cremation
services since 1904. We pride ourselves on ensuring that your funeral experience at the
City of London is as efficient and smooth running as possible as we know that this is a
very difficult time. Our Bereavement Services team are available to advise you in person,
in writing, by telephone or by email so please do not hesitate to contact us if we can
provide any further information to what is in this guide.
Please use this section of the brochure to help you decide on the type of service you
would like, your chapel of choice and what you would like to do with the ashes after
the service. We have a wide range of options, for any budget, and anyone may be
cremated here irrespective of faith or the area in which you live. We also have a wide
variety of options for you to consider after the funeral, and encourage you to select what
best suits your family and circumstance.
The City of London Cemetery & Crematorium is committed to reducing the
environmental impact caused by the service that it provides. For this reason our
crematorium is fitted with state of the art cremators designed to meet all current and
future legislation. All of our cremators and ancillary equipment is supplied by Facultatieve
Technologies who are a leading name in the manufacture of cremation equipment
across the globe. The abatement equipment used at our crematorium removes mercury
and other toxic particles before any gases are released into the atmosphere, with all
toxic residues being collected and disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way.
The City of London crematorium has and will continue to reduce the level of mercury
emitted from the cremation process by over 50%. This has been achieved with no impact
on the service that we provide to the bereaved.
A Scale of Charges with all our costs relating to Cremation can be accessed online or is
enclosed in this brochure as a separate leaflet. Please feel free to book an appointment
with our Bereavement Services team if you wish to view the chapels or to select a
Memorial Garden dedication.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Cremation
Chapels for Cremations
Traditional Crematorium Chapel
The traditional Crematorium is located in the centre of the Cemetery at the end of
Cheethams Avenue. Surrounded by our landscaped Memorial Gardens and at the
edge of a beautiful Sunken Garden, this Edwardian Grade II listed building offers a more
traditional funeral setting for cremation services, which can seat up to 80 mourners. There
is a floral display area adjacent to the building on which your funeral flowers can be
displayed and the chapel offers a PA system should you have more mourners than can
be seated.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
Modern Crematorium Chapels
Our Modern Crematorium is in the heart of the Cemetery and offers a modern yet
appropriate setting for Cremation services. The building, located in Rhododendron
Avenue is of a late 20th Century design and has a chapel on the north and south sides.
Our North Chapel follows a classic red theme with beech wood and can seat around
100 mourners and our South Chapel has a tranquil green theme with oak wood that can
also seat around 100 mourners.
Both our North and South Chapels have large sliding glass doors that open out to a
covered area where a further 200 to 300 mourners can stand, view and listen (with an
in built PA system) to a funeral at any one time. They both have piped church organs,
visual screens that can be used for presentations, videos or photographs and a state of
the art digital music system. Please speak to your Funeral Director about what options
are available in these chapels. Just behind the Modern Crematorium we have a floral
display area where you can lay flowers or dedications following your service. We also
have waiting rooms and toilet facilities adjacent to both chapels for all visitors.
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Music and visual options
Music can often be a very important part of any funeral and we feel that it is important
that this side of the service is completely taken care of for you. At the City of London
we have a state of the art music system and a database that can cater for any taste,
requirement or style. Any track can be played in any of our chapels. If you request a
piece of music that is not in our existing database, your Funeral Director can order it for
you as long as they have at least 48 hours before your service.
Choices after a funeral
The standard service time in any of our chapels is 30 minutes, during which you can
choose up to three pieces of music to be played and this should all be arranged
through your Funeral Director in advance of your service. The normal format would be to
have one piece of music played as you enter the service, one during the committal and
one when you exit. If you book a longer service, then more music can be played, but
please note there are additional charges for this option. We strongly discourage bringing
cassette tapes, CDs or DVD’s on the day and ask that you arrange all music with your
Funeral Director in advance of the service.
We have visual screens in our Modern Crematorium that allow presentations, videos and
photographs to be displayed during the service if you wish. Please also arrange these
options with your funeral Director well in advance of the service.
Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Choices after a funeral
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Choices after a funeral
Choices after funeral
Our Memorial Garden
Here at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium at Aldersbrook we understand
that you will want to commemorate and remember your loved one in an appropriate
way and we pride ourselves on providing a range of choices for you to consider after
the funeral service.
With 32 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens right in the very heart of our site, our
Memorial Gardens provide an unrivalled location for the placement of ashes. The
distinguished landscape consists of a wide choice of positions for Ashes in any of our
pre-planted 600 rose beds, 14 flower beds, shrub borders or by one of our many trees,
benches or dedicated pathways.
Whether your funeral service has been held here or not, we are pleased to offer post
funeral services and a wide variety of options in our very special and well maintained 32
acre Memorial Garden.
If the funeral service was held here, we will store the Ashes free of charge for up to two
months after the funeral; to give you time to decide what you want to do. If you need
more time, you can arrange for us to hold them for an additional fee, by calling our
Bereavement Services team.
The following options are available after a funeral. Please use this guide to help you
decide which option is best; you can have the ashes:
• placed in our beautiful memorial garden with a dedication see pages 32-34
• placed in a new or existing niche in our columbarium see page 34
• scattered in our Garden of Rest within our memorial garden see page 35
• buried in unmarked woodland grave see page 36
• interred in a private Grave see page 17
• or collect your Ashes in a complimentary container or purchase an urn/casket
of your choosing see page 37.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
Each dedication position within the memorial gardens can accommodate a
maximum of two plaques and therefore be dedicated to two people.
Our landscaped formal gardens are broken up into smaller sections by pathways,
walkways and boxed hedges, allowing you to reflect and remember your loved one
with some privacy. The tranquil and fragrant gardens are delightful to walk around,
appropriate for guests of all ages and there are lots of areas to sit and enjoy the
displays. We have a team of over 25 gardeners working in our grounds to ensure
they look their best; all our Memorial Garden areas are maintained to the highest
of standards which includes weeding, trimming, pruning and mowing grass on a
regular basis.
All our options are shown overleaf but are subject to availability. It is well worth visiting
the gardens to decide what area and type of memorial you would prefer and
then to book an appointment with our Bereavement Services team to choose your
actual dedication and the length of the lease you would like to take out. Once you
have selected the bed you want, we reserve the position and then order a standard
bronze plaque with an inscription, we then arrange a suitable time for you to have
an appointment to place the Ashes loosely in the soil by your dedication. You will be
assisted by an experienced and sympathetic member of our team and looked after
throughout the process. It is worth noting that with our Memorial Garden dedications,
once ashes are in the ground they become part of the soil and therefore cannot be
removed, even when your lease expires.
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Choices after a funeral
Rose bush
You can select any one of a variety of
coloured rose bushes. We have a number of
rose bush sections that are surrounded either
by grass, by pathways or along walled areas.
Standard rose bush
These roses are taller than the normal bush
rose and provide a striking fan like display of
roses that stand proud in our gardens. Again
there are a variety of colours you can select
in various locations.
Flowering shrub
in a border
There are a large number of shrubs located
in beds around the gardens which include
Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Hydrangeas,
Viburnums and many more.
Space in a
flower bed
Our beautifully landscaped flower beds
really come to life with colour in the spring
and summer, but we also ensure that there
is attractive and tidy seasonal planting in
these beds during the autumn and winter
months. This area is ideal if you are looking
for your memorial to be a part of a stunning
floral display.
Individual shrub
or tree
If you are looking for an individual dedication
of either a shrub or tree then we can arrange
that for you. These shrub or tree ‘rings’ are
unique to your dedication(s) (of which you
can have up to two) and allow the option for
you to have an area just for your loved one.
Garden seat
Space in a heather
border
If you are looking for a fragrant and perhaps
softer option then the heather borders are an
ideal choice.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
We have lots of areas for people to take
a seat throughout all parts of our grounds.
These seats provide convenient areas for
people to rest, sit and reflect and are much
loved by all those who visit our site. These are
lovely dedications and a wonderful idea to
commemorate a loved one.
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Choices after a funeral
Garden of Rest
Flagstone in
a dedicated
pathway
The pathways in and around our gardens
are a lovely feature of the site and there are
a number from which you can choose to
have a flagstone. Our flagstones are made
of solid stone and the inscription is cut into
the face of the tablet.
If you choose not to select a personalised dedication we offer the option of scattering
or strewing Ashes in our Garden of Rest which is located in the gardens area of our site.
This is a quiet and shaded area, which has a number of seats for visitors and provides a
tranquil but unmarked final resting place for ashes. If the funeral service was held here
then we offer this option free of charge for up to a year after the service and you will
have an appointment in the same way as you would with our other dedications. If the
cremation was held elsewhere but you wish to use this area, then please contact our
Bereavement Services team who can still arrange this for you for a charge.
Columbarium niches
The columbarium niches are a wonderful alternative to having your ashes scattered or
strewn into the ground. You can keep the ashes in an urn of your choice and place them
in a ‘niche’ or chamber above ground.
Indoor
The indoor niches located in the main
Columbarium provide a quiet and serene
environment for you to visit your loved
one and are located right by the Books of
Remembrance. There are a variety of niche
shapes and heights to choose from.
Outdoor
The outdoor niches are located in our
beautiful Memorial Gardens area and are
encapsulated into well-trimmed hedges.
These closed and locked niches allow you
to have a large dedication plaque on the
outside with text. The outdoor options allow a
high level of personalisation for a dedication.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Choices after a funeral
Green burial of Ashes
Urns
Burial of Ashes in a Bio-degradable
urn in our unmarked woodland area
If you have had a Cremation at the City of London Crematorium, as standard we place
the ashes in a sturdy, blue, environmentally friendly, free container. We don’t actually
produce or make any urns here at the City of London but we do have a range of urns
and caskets for you to purchase from us or we can show you various bespoke options
from one of the suppliers that we regularly deal with and trust.
This is a green choice and is available for those who want to bury Ashes in an urn in an
unmarked area. The urn dissolves after a short period of time and the Ashes form part of
the soil. It is important to note that the Ashes can not therefore be moved from this area
at a later date.
Burial of Ashes loosely in an
unmarked woodland area
This is an option where one of our team bury the Ashes loosely in an unmarked
woodland area for you and it is not witnessed by any family or friends. It is important to
note that the Ashes can not therefore be moved from this area at a later date.
Graves for Ashes
We have specific areas within the Cemetery where you can purchase a private grave
for the burial of Ashes. A headstone may be erected and each grave can hold up to
ten urns or caskets. Please consult our Bereavement Services team for what options
are available.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Choices after a funeral
Book of Remembrance
Our Books of Remembrance provide the opportunity for a lasting and personalised
dedication to a loved one on a date of your choice. Once an entry is placed in the
Book of Remembrance it is there forever. The actual Books are beautifully displayed
in well-lit glass display cabinets in our Hall of Remembrance which is located in our
stunning Columbarium at the centre of the Cemetery. Wherever your loved one might
be in the Cemetery or in the Memorial Gardens, the Books of Remembrance are easy
to access.
This quiet and peaceful room allows you to visit the books and read the dedications
of the day. These beautiful, calligraphic messages are a lovely way to highlight a
memory, whether it is on a birthday, anniversary or just a special time of year. Each
book has a page for every day of the year and the pages are turned every morning
to the current day.
We also have an electronic display of the books in the waiting area of the main
administration office which can be viewed during office hours and they can also be
viewed online via our website which enables the viewing of any page at any time.
There is also the opportunity for you to have a ‘replica’ made of your inscription on
white card or in a covered or leather bound book for you to keep at home. This can
be arranged through our Bereavement Services team or ordered online.
All the messages are hand written to the highest standard and therefore we require
at least five months from receipt of your Book of Remembrance application to when it
actually appears in the book. Please bear this in mind if you want the inscription by a
particular date. The replicas can usually be made within a month.
For all options and prices please see the current Scale of Charges on our website or
enclosed in this brochure as a separate leaflet.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Grave Transfers
The original purchaser of a Grave holds the exclusive ownership or ‘Rights of Burial’
for that plot for the length of time on the lease. If the sole owner is to be buried in the
Grave then an interment may take place and an inscription placed on the memorial
as long as the work is carried out on site, without having to transfer the ‘Rights of
Burial’ to another individual but no further monumental work can be carried out.
However, if the grave owner is to be buried in the plot and you wish to undertake any
of the following actions then you will need to arrange to have the ‘Rights of Burial’
transferred:
• if the owner’s inscription on a headstone requires the removal of the memorial from the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium
• if any structural work is to be carried out on the memorial (on or off site) including cleaning and or renovation
• a new memorial is to be erected
• the grave is to be opened again for further burials or ashes.
We can arrange the transfer of ownership by either production of Probate of will,
or Grant of Letters of Administration or in cases where neither of these documents
are taken out, ownership will need to be transferred by Statutory Declaration
by the next of kin. Statutory Declarations are legal documents produced by the
City of London that then need to be signed in the presence of a Magistrate or
Commissioner for Oaths.
If you wish to present your documents to the City of London Cemetery and
Crematorium, you will need to make an appointment to arrange this, or for any further
advice on Grave Transfers please call our specialist in the Bereavement Services team.
For the current fees for Grave transfers please see our Scale of Charges document on
our website or enclosed in this booklet as a separate leaflet.
Other Information
Funeral reception facility
Funerals can often be a time when families and friends come together to remember,
reminisce and or even celebrate the life of the person they have lost. We know that
many families hold a reception after a funeral to allow the attendees and guests to
reflect and share stories.
Here at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium we offer a comfortable and
appropriate reception facility within our grounds to allow you to do this with the minimum
amount of stress. This may allow the easy assembly and gathering of all those whom
attended a funeral service and saves you having to host at home or find an alternative
unfamiliar venue.
Our Ernie Turner Centre, which is located just inside the Cemetery gates, offers a
function room that can hold up to 100 people for a standing reception. It has plenty
of parking and an onsite caterer who can meet a range of needs and budgets. To
check availability of the facility or to come and view the room, please contact our
Bereavement Services team.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Recycling of metals
and materials
We are often asked what happens to any materials or metals that are remaining after a
Cremation has taken place. Many of the materials used for special medical purposes are
stainless steel, titanium and cobalt chrome, all produced from non-renewable sources.
Over time these resources will be depleted and such metals will become less available.
The practice of recycling these metals has now become a European precedent and
provides the City of London with an opportunity for Crematoria to contribute to a
sustainable future.
Subject to applicant approval (which we ask on your Cremation paperwork), we recycle
all of the metals collected after our Cremations and donate all proceeds to either the
Lord Mayor’s or local charities. The City of London does not benefit in any way from the
recycling of these materials.
For softer metals such as gold or silver, we strongly suggest you ask your Funeral Director
to remove these items from the deceased before the Cremation. If you are not sure or
have any further questions please consult with your Funeral Director.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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Genealogy
The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium holds over 150 years of stories, history
and heritage in both our grounds and in our Burial and Cremation Registers. There are
88 Registers, each weighing around 25kg, with over 300 pages of recorded interments /
cremations per register. Over 500,000 people have been interred here and with 250,000
cremations and the remains from over 30 London Churchyards interred at the site, the
figure is fast approaching 1 million.
From 1856 – 1956 all burials were manually recorded in our registers and the books
were not indexed, so searching for an individual record can be a lengthy and time
consuming process, particularly without the exact date of death or burial. The
complexity and length of time it takes to search for a record is reflected in the costs
we now have to charge for the searches. The more data you can gather before
contacting us will result in a lower cost to find the information you require. From 1998
all our records are computerised, we therefore happily conduct these searches free
of charge.
You have several options to search our registers – conduct a search of early records
online via our website, or you can contact our Bereavement Services team to arrange
for them to conduct the search for you (all costs for this service are outlined in our Scale
of Charges document). Alternatively, if you would like to come and search through the
Registers yourself we offer this service free of charge as long as you book an
appointment with our Bereavement Services team in advance.
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Tel: 020 8530 2151 Email: [email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery
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The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium at Aldersbrook is provided by the
City of London Corporation which is a uniquely diverse organisation in that it not only
promotes and supports the City, and provides it with a full range of services but also
provides wider services for London and for the nation as a whole.
City of London Cemetery & Crematorium at Aldersbrook
Aldersbrook Road, London E12 5DQ
Tel: +44 (0)20 8530 2151 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1563
[email protected]
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cemetery