10 Tips for Burial on Private Land

FUNERAL PLANNING...

In the UK it is not necessary to be buried at a local authority facility. Really?
That’s right. But so few such funeral ceremonies are carried out in the UK as it’s not widely known and varies from country to country. But it is relatively straight forward according to the Natural Death Centre. In fact burial on private land in the UK is free of the many legal considerations attributed to public burial. But it has to be considered carefully as a viable option.

Here are the TEN BASIC RULES and regulations for a burial on private land…
1) You (or the deceased) must have gotten written/documented permission from the land owner of the burial plot.

2) There are no by-laws or covenant restrictions in the land deeds that prohibit burial.

3) Take into account and check that the burial spot does not / will not be near public facilities such as water services. Check the council for the local permitted distances.

4) The depth of burial is deep enough to local rules… usually 1 meter of soil is required above the coffin lid.

5) Register the death and burial site & date with the local Registrar of Birth & Deaths , usually at the local Town Hall offices.

6) Complete the ‘green form’ at time of burial and return to the same Registrar.

7) Seek Planning Permission if there is any change of use for a building or plot, i.e. you are constructing a burial memorial or shrine or a permanent nature.

8) Ensure you have the right equipment to dig the grave to the correct depth and location, making sure there are no issues below ground.

9) Consider how things could be affected should the burial land or property be sold on? For example, how would mourners or loved ones visit the grave on private land.

10) If it’s a public event on private land then maybe a mention to the local police might be a good idea so they are not called out to something that looks improper or suspicious!!

You may want to seek some advice from local Funeral Directors. But check with at least three as there is confusion or lack of knowledge in this topic as it is so rare.

Don’t forget you can plan your own funeral online for free with Funerals To Die For (UK). www.funerals-to-die-for.co.uk

Unusual Funerals!!

Funeral Fun-Box: Every so often I come across a few strange facts or anecdotes about or related to funerals… here’s a few more:

1. Harry Houdini, an escape artist and magic entertainer died of a ruptured appendix. He had a massive collection of magic books and equipment to donate which was keft to his brother and to various libraries. He also left his magic rabbits to local children. But the strangest thing he left was for his wife … a special code of ten words which he said he would use to contact her after his death. Despite many years of trying his wife never had contact from Harry beyond the grave !!
2. Drumming Beyond the Grave: An American Hatmaker left his body to science. His will stipulated that two drums should be made out of his skin and given to a friend, who every June 17 at dawn had to pound out the tune “Yankee Doodle” at Bunker Hill, the anniversary of the famous Revolutionary War battle.
3. Doggone It! : A wealthy Eleanor E. Ritchey, of the Quaker State Refining Corporation, left her $4.5 million fortune to her 150 dogs when she died in Florida in 1968. But it was heavily contested by friends and family. By the time the estate was finally settled, its value had jumped to $14 million but only 73 of the dogs were still alive. Lucky dogs!
4. Janis Joplin Party Time: The famous rock singer of Texas, died of an overdose on October 4, 1970. Janis made changes to her will just two days before her death. She set aside $2,500 to pay for a posthumous all-night party for 200 guests at her favorite pub in San Anselmo, California, “so my friends can get blasted after I’m gone.”

[Thanks to How Stuff Works for the above information]

What will your funeral say about you?

The digital era has hit most aspects of our life and now it's part of our death!

We can now all access advanced online funeral planning tools to record our funeral plans. There are many to choose from such as the free service called Funerals To Die For (UK). So there is no excuse not to get online and start making your own funeral arrangements to let your friends, family and loved ones know how you want to celebrate your death.

Funeral Planning websites, sometimes called personal legacy sites, offer a simple and comforting way to record what you would like to happen upon your death and much more. Most funeral planning websites let you write freely write and record everything that relates to or is attendant to your death and funeral, such as who gets your treasures, where your money or important assets are kept, policy document details... or even what clothes you want to be buried in or the music you want played.

The better services will let you upload personal video or audio messages so they can be played at or after your death, easily done these days with modern Smart Phones or digital cameras. So let your mind be as creative, serious or humorous as you desire and document it all digitally online. It's really easy!


After all, when all is said and done, it's your funeral and surely should reflect your personal tastes and life's interests. You can try Funerals To Die For (UK) for free.