Churchyards 

According to law, a parishioner has a right to be buried in the churchyard of the parish in which he or she resides or where they are on the church electoral roll if that churchyard is still open. However, a parishioner does not have a right to be buried in a particular place, which is a matter for the Minister to decide. Anyone wishing to be buried in a particular place in a churchyard can only acquire a right to be buried there by obtaining a Faculty to authorise the reservation of an exclusive right of burial in a particular grave.

There is a special form of Faculty Petition which should be used in connection with an application to reserve a grave space. It is found here: https://elydiocesanregistry.co.uk. The process takes between three to six months and fees are payable.

An applicant should complete Part A of the Faculty Petition and ask the Rector to complete Part B. The completed form containing Part A together with a cheque for the fees should be sent to The Church Office, Home Farm, Lynn Road, Stow Bardolph. The Rector will then complete Part B and send the forms to the Registrar, together with a resolution of the parochial church council in support.

The Chancellor of the Diocese, will normally direct that Public Notices are published at the church, to give notice of the application to parishioners and an opportunity for objections. Such notices have to be published for 28 days. If no notices of objection are received by the Registrar, the Chancellor will normally direct the granting of a Faculty. But this is not a certainty.