Can I be buried on my own land?

It might be something that you've never thought about.....

Or it might have fleetingly crossed your mind once or twice and then disappeared just as quickly when you've dismissed it as fanciful. But is it out of the question to be buried on your own land? And would you even want to be?

I don't know if you've ever visited the houses and grounds of stately homes, but if you have, you may have spotted a few human graves in the odd corner. Being buried on their own land is something that the aristocracy have sometimes chosen to do over the centuries.

Many of us will remember the funeral of Princess Diana which culminated in her body being taken to the family estate of Althorp Park for its final resting place. Although few of us will have 13000 acres of grounds in which to put our own burial plot, how much land would you actually need to have your grave, or that of a loved one, located in the 'back garden'? And do you have to get permission from someone before you put a grave there?

The gentle Johnny Morris, host of the children's programme Animal Magic, had his wife buried in their 4-acre garden, so that he could visit her every day for the rest of his life. But even this lesser amount of land is more than enough. After all, the size of a fairly generous burial plot is less than four square metres.

At Peace Funerals, we have helped a number of families to arrange burials on their own land. The land in question has ranged from a reasonably large farm to an average-sized back garden of a former council house in Doncaster. And the one thing that these places had in common - it was where the person being buried wanted to be.

There are practical issues. You have to own the freehold of the land. And the plot has to be a certain distance away from water courses and standing water. But the whole process is less complicated than you might imagine. However, you have to remember that this is a once and forever decision. Moving someone's body after they have been buried is either going to be problematic or impossible. And don't forget, you cannot know that the land in question will always be owned by a family member.

If you want to read more, the Environment Agency publishes a guide about the regulations for Home Burials. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cemeteries-and-burials-prevent-groundwater-pollution#human-home-burials

And if you really think that this might be the option for you, want the support of experienced professionals to guide you, and you're not too far away from one of our Sheffield bases, why not give Peace Funerals a call on 0800 093 0505.