Headstones

Regulations for new headstones

  1. Must be made of natural stone and be no more than 900 mm in height or width, and between 75 mm – 150 mm in thickness.
  2. A flower vase is recommended as an integral part of the memorial base.
  3. Authorised edging, plants and tributes are only permitted at the top of the grave and must be no longer than 450 mm length. Edgings or tributes placed outside of this area will be removed or reduced.
  4. All upright memorials are to be installed using a ground fixing system; only the systems that have passed the criteria for stability laid down by the National Association of Monumental Masons shall be installed.
  5. Only Memorial Masons registered with the Council are permitted to work in Oldham Cemeteries.
  6. The maintenance and stability of memorials is the owner’s responsibility.
  7. The right to erect a memorial will only be issued for the length of the guarantee issued by the Mason commissioned to erect a new memorial.
  8. When you approach a mason to request work you will be asked to sign an application form which they must explain and discuss with you including their guarantee.  The mason will then submit your signed application form to the cemetery office for process and a permit will be issued to both yourself and the memorial mason, authorising the work to be completed. If you do not receive a permit there may be a breakdown in communication and you should contact the cemetery office.

Your responsibilities

  • Maintenance of the headstones
  • Security - the headstone must be able to withstand a safety inspection every 5 years.
  • If the headstone fails a safety check it is your responsibility to arrange repair.
  • Consider insurance to protect the headstone in future generations

Should you need to update your personal details, please contact the Cemetery Office:

Choosing a mason

Only masons registered with the Council can work in Oldham’s cemeteries.

Guarantees

  • Memorial masons registered with Oldham Council guarantee work for up to 30 years
  • Rights to erect a memorial are affected by the length of a guarantee
  • The guarantee is against faulty workmanship
  • You will get a copy of the guarantee from your mason.

Registered masons

To register with the Council, masons must demonstrate their skill by evidence of a memorial fixer qualification either through BRAMM or NAMM.

A list of Registered Memorial Masons is available at the Central Cemeteries Office

Safety inspections

  • Every 5 years
  • By Council staff or qualified independent inspectors
  • A notice is attached to the headstone if the Council needs to make a headstone safe
  • Where we have up to date contact details we will write to the grave owner.

Maintenance/repairs

  • Repairs are at the owner’s expense
  • A registered memorial mason must do the work
  • If repairs are not done the memorial may be removed
  • Damage to cosmetic cement joints does not affect headstone safety

Long-term care

Where safety inspections identify necessary work and this is undertaken by families then the headstone will be erected on the grave for the period of the right to burial (99 years).