Much Hadham Parish Council now agreed revised regulations for the Burial Ground as follows:

   The Regulations of the Much Hadham Parish Council – Burial Authority

The Burial Authority shall consist of the members from time to time of Much Hadham Parish Council and the Burial Authority shall meet and regulate its business accordingly.

Details of the fees from time to time fixed by the Burial Authority and copies of these Regulations are available on application from the Clerk of Much Hadham Parish Council, The Old Monastery, Windhill, Bishop's Stortford, Herts CM23 2ND, Tel 01279 652274.

A sketch showing the dimensions of any headstone or cross or plinth proposed to be erected and a copy of any inscription or thing proposed to be inscribed or engraved thereon shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Burial Authority before the headstone or cross or plinth is erected.

Rules as to Flowers, Grave Spaces, Headstones and Crosses etc

1. A grave space shall be an area not exceeding 215 cm by 80 cm and shall be only in such position as the Burial Authority shall determine.

2. No items of any kind shall be put on a grave space except:-
(a) natural flowers loose or in free-standing vases (which shall not be fixed) or in vases let into bases of headstones;  
(b) natural plants, natural flowers and natural shrubs planted in any grave space;
(c) a headstone, cross, plinth or horizontal gravestone that complies with Regulations 7 and 8; and
(d) wreaths for a period of not more than 30 days. 
             Subject thereto, all grave spaces must be levelled flush with the ground 12 months after
             interment, and the Burial Authority may level any grave space not so levelled. All such natural
             plants, flowers and shrubs (whether in vases or planted) must be well tended and must at no
             time be permitted to exceed 50 cm in height, 20 cm in width and 20 cm in thickness.

3. Artificial wreaths and flowers, including imitation flowers under glass and imitation flowers in
      vases shall not be allowed on any grave space. If any are so placed, the Burial Authority will
       remove them.

4. A headstone or cross shall be no more than 95 cm high (calculated from ground level), 60 cm wide and 10 cm thick. The height of any headstone or cross shall be calculated inclusive of any plinth and/or any steps beneath a plinth.

5. Any plinth or foundation stone shall be no more than 15 cm high (calculated from ground level), 30 cm deep (from front to back) and 80 cm wide (from side to side).

6. Horizontal gravestones shall be permitted only as an alternative to a headstone or cross and shall be no more than 60 cm wide by 150 cm long with a thickness or height from ground level of no more than 8 cm on the sides and 20 cm in the middle. Horizontal gravestones shall also comply with Regulations 7, 8 and 9.

7. (a) All headstones, crosses and plinths shall be of natural stone (including black honed granite
             and slate), but (except for a cross in hardwood) shall not be of wood or plastic or white
             marble or coloured stone.
(b) No headstone or cross or plinth shall be mirror polished, that is highly polished so as to reflect, except that a black granite mirror polished headstone shall be allowed where (but only where) an etching of the deceased (which shall be no more than 10 cm by 13 cm) is to be engraved on such headstone.
(c) No ceramic plaques containing an image or a photograph of the deceased or of any other person or thing shall be allowed on a headstone.
(d) No grave space shall include any kerb, railing, fencing, chippings, statuary, sundial, or birdbath.
(e) Each headstone shall be rectangular with or without a curved or stepped or angled curved top and shall not be in the form of a book or a heart or the deceased or any other person or thing.
(f) Any lettering or flowers engraved on a headstone shall be uncoloured or shall be in white, silver, gold or black.
(g) Armorials shall be permitted but shall not be coloured.
(h) No images of animals or of any thing not expressly permitted shall be allowed.

8. If after a period of two years from the interment no headstone or cross has been erected on a
       grave space, the Burial Authority may place upon such grave space a numbered marker for
       identification purposes.

        9.  These Regulations supersede any previous Regulations. No headstone or cross or plinth or
       gravestone erected prior to the date of these Regulations and which does not comply with these 
       Regulations shall be treated as having created a precedent.

      10 . These Regulations were adopted on 4 November 2008 and shall be amended only by a majority
              by heads of at least two thirds of the members of the Burial Authority. 

M L G Dillon