Arrange a burial
How to arrange a burial at one of our cemeteries or burial grounds.
Available burial plots
You can buy a plot at the time of burial at any of our cemeteries or burial grounds with plots available.
The table below show availability at each of our locations.
| Cemetery or burial ground | Plots available |
|---|---|
| City Cemetery | No new plots available |
| Extra Mural Cemetery | No new plots available |
| Hove Cemetery | Plots available on the north side |
| Jewish Extension Cemetery | Jewish graves available |
| Lawn Memorial Cemetery | Plots available |
| Portslade Cemetery | No new plots available |
| Woodland Valley natural burial ground | Plots available |
| Woodvale Cemetery | No new plots available |
Where there are no new graves available, existing graves can be re-opened if there is sufficient depth remaining.
How to buy a burial plot in advance
You can buy a grave in advance at Lawn Memorial Cemetery or Woodland Valley Natural Burial Ground.
To buy a grave in advance you can:
- download a grave space purchase form
- phone us for more information or to make an appointment on 01273 604 020
If you are buying a grave at the time of burial, your funeral director can assist you with the paperwork.
Grave allocation
Graves are allocated by the cemeteries staff along whatever row is currently being used, with the next available space assigned whether it is to be used immediately or in the future. The main reason for this is to allow the flora and fauna of the site to develop rather than disturbing everywhere all the time.
Multiple burials
It is possible to have two burials in a grave. You are then able to have further burials of cremated remains in the same grave if you should wish.
If you only wish to bury cremated remains you will need to purchase a cremated remains plot rather than a grave.
You can purchase more than one grave if you would like burials to be side by side.
If you wish to purchase an adjoining grave we strongly advise you do this at the same time as the original purchase to ensure the grave is still available. It is unlikely if you request the grave next door at a later date that it will still be available for purchase since our policy is to allocate the next grave in line.
Burial plots for ashes
You can have up to two sets of cremated remains buried in a cremated remains plot. Cremated remains may be buried with or without a container. If you do choose a receptacle it must be biodegradable. A number of suitable containers are available from the Woodvale Lodge.
Scattering ashes
There are specifically designated areas of Woodland Valley where cremated remains can be scattered by appointment. The two areas are the Sea View area and Woodland Glade, which are both at the northern end of the grounds and signposted. We keep accurate records of where a scattering takes place should you wish further scatterings to occur in the same place.
Exclusive rights of burial
When buying a grave, the Exclusive Rights of Burial are being purchased, on a leasehold basis, for an initial period of 50 years. This can be renewed for a further 25 years towards the end of the initial lease. If the owner dies, they have an automatic right to be buried in the grave (as long as there is space to do so).
Permission must be given by the owner for any burials in, or memorials placed on, the grave. If there is no living owner, the authority will need to establish who is legally entitled to the grave, and the “transfer of ownership” must be completed before a burial can go ahead.