ABOUT KNUTSFORD CEMETERY
Knutsford Cemetery was created by the former Knutsford Urban District Council and opened in January 1902. Located on the edge of town at Tabley Hill, the cemetery is a peaceful five acre site with a beautiful Grade II listed chapel.
Management of the cemetery returned to Knutsford Town Council in January 2020 and we are committed to making continual improvement and securing a long term burial provision for Knutsford.
The cemetery is open to the public from dawn until dusk; toilets are available on site (not accessible).
CEMETERY REGULATIONS
All users of the cemetery should read the Cemetery Regulations which set out the council’s rules in respect of use of the cemetery, burial rights and memorials.
Knutsford Cemetery is a lawn cemetery; no new memorials other than headstones will be given consent.
If you have any queries in relation to the cemetery, or to submit forms, please call 01565 653 929 or email cemetery@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk.
CEMETERY MANGEMENT PLAN
The council has adopted a five year Cemetery Management Plan which sets out how we will maintain and improve the cemetery between 2022-2027.
Some of the improvements we intend to make include improving the promotion of the chapel, creating additional flowerbeds, improving the entrance to the cemetery and removing kerbs from neglected graves.
You can read the plan here: Knutsford Cemetery Management Plan 2022-2027
GUIDANCE ON BURIAL RIGHTS
An exclusive right of burial can be purchased from the council for a period of 99 years; this gives the holder certain rights over a grave within Knutsford Cemetery. The ownership of the land itself remains with Knutsford Town Council, but holders of burial rights have a right to be buried in the grave, may give permission for other people to be buried in the grave and may (with permission) maintain a memorial on the grave and will be responsible for the safety of any memorial placed on the grave.
The Town Council will allow a maximum of two people to hold a right:
- where two people hold a right they must act jointly (e.g. must both give consent for a grave to be opened)
- if one of the rights holders passes away, sole ownership will be vested into the surviving rights holder
- both rights holders have the right to be interred in the grave if there is space and the other rights holder cannot prevent this
TRANSFER OF BURIAL RIGHTS
The rights to a grave are the owners property and as such may only be transferred with their consent or in accordance with law. If a living burial rights holder wishes to transfer ownership, they simply need to complete a form of assignment. We may ask for proof of ID and the original burial deed to accompany the original signed assignment form.
The transfer of burial rights can get complicated, but we will endeavour to support families through the process and make it as simple as possible. When a burial rights holder has passed away, we will contact the next of kin to provide advice on the transfer to ensure there is always a living rights holder for a grave.
- If the deceased owned the grave jointly with another, the other person becomes sole holder of the rights
- If the deceased left a will and an application for probate is required we must receive the original grant of probate from the court. The grave can be registered to the named executor(s) who can give assent for it to be transferred to another person.
- If the deceased left a will which did not warrant an application for probate, we will require a statutory declaration confirming the detail of the will and the original death certificate.
- If the deceased did not leave a will but the estate requires an application for Letters of Administration, we will require the original grant of letters and the grave can be registered to the named administrator(s) who can give assent for it to be transferred to another person.
- If the deceased did not leave a will and the estate did not warrant an application for Letters of Administration we will require a statutory declaration detailing the relationship of the person claiming the rights and a form of renunciation from all other people who would be entitled to claim rights.
There is a £45 administration fee for registering a change of rights.