Buying a grave

Memorial headstone safety testing
Memorial headstone safety testing will take place on Monday 18 March to Friday 22 March 2024.
This will be in these cemeteries: Ryde, Newport, Carisbrooke and Ventnor. This is essential work to check the stability of burial ground memorials. This is to make sure they are safe. The utmost care and respect will be paid during this inspection. If you have any questions please contact bereavement.services@iow.gov.uk

We can allocate a grave to you in the cemetery of your choice, or for a fee we can arrange you meet a member of the Bereavement Services team in the cemetery itself to select a plot from those available.

A form will need to be completed by those to be registered as the owner/s of the grave and the purchase fee will be payable before you can be issued with the Deed.

Book an appointment with us to complete this process. Contact us directly to request an appointment.

Once we have your request for an appointment, we will contact you to arrange an appropriate time and date to meet.

Fees

Download the current fees (PDF, 77KB, 1 Page) for buying a grave in an Isle of Wight Council cemetery.

Rights of burial

When you buy a grave in an Isle of Wight Council cemetery, you are buying the 'Exclusive Right of Burial', not the land itself. This right gives you the authority to consent to burials within the grave and to apply for the placing of headstones and memorials upon the grave for a period of 100 years.

Buying a grave in your name automatically gains you the right to be buried in the said grave.

The 'Exclusive Right of Burial' can be registered in as many names as you wish. If you are buying a grave for yourself, it can be a good idea to also add the name of the person who will be your executor or dealing with your affairs at the time of your death.

Transferring the Rights of burial

Upon the death of the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial, the right should be transferred to a new owner to enable any future burials to take place or so new memorials or additional work to existing memorials may be legally carried out.

The right will usually pass down the family line, with the widow/er or all children of the original owner being entitled to this right.

The methods of transferring the right varies depending upon individual circumstances. It is considered legal ownership, so the process may involve a solicitor or executor.

Book an appointment with us to complete this process. You can request an appointment by contacting us directly. Once we have received your request for an appointment we will contact you to arrange an appropriate time and date to meet.