Arrange a burial (interment)

To arrange a full body or cremated remains burial, you should approach a funeral director of your choice. They will arrange the handling of the deceased's body and help to organise the funeral and burial. They will guide you through the process and complete the required paperwork. 

We have eight cemeteries in Wirral which are open for burials Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. 

Burial options

Full body burial

Full body burials can take place in a new grave or an existing grave if space is available. You can purchase a grave at the time of burial or in advance.

Cremated remains burial

Cremated remains can be buried in a new plot, which can be purchased at the time of burial. They can also be buried in an existing plot, if there is space. 

Find out more about grave options

Applicant for Burial

For new graves and cremated remains plots, the person who signs the interment form is known as the Applicant for Burial. If you are the Applicant for Burial you will hold the Exclusive Right of Burial for the grave.  

How to buy a burial plot in advance

Graves can be purchased for future use at any time by contacting us. If you are buying a grave at the time of burial, your funeral director can help you with the paperwork. 

Grave allocation 

Graves are allocated along the row that is currently being used. The next available grave space is assigned, whether it is to be used immediately or in the future. This allows the flora and fauna of the site to develop. It also avoids disturbing other graves. 

If you wish to buy adjoining graves, we strongly advise you do this at the same time. This will ensure the grave is still available as it is unlikely to be available at a later date. 

Exclusive rights of burial

When buying a grave, the Exclusive Rights of Burial are being purchased. They are on a leasehold basis, for an initial period of up to 99 years. 

The lease for a Natural Burial grave is for an initial period of 50 years. It 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. 

Permission must be given by the owner for any burials in, or memorials placed on, the grave.  

Existing graves

Burials may be accommodated in graves purchased in the past. Our records will tell us how much space remains in a grave but sometimes we don’t always have this information. We may only be able to find out by digging the grave for a funeral.

To use a grave already purchased, you must have the grave owner's permission. You will need to produce the grave deed. If the owner is alive, they must sign for the opening of their grave. 

If there is no living owner, the authority will need to establish who is legally entitled to the grave. Your funeral director can arrange this for you. 

If you are not sure who owns a grave, or who should sign to open it, please contact us.

Ownership does not automatically pass to someone else when the grave owner dies. It can only be transferred by the completion of required forms. If you need to do this, please contact us. 

What happens at the cemetery?

Once your funeral director has organised the interment and submitted the paperwork, we will prepare the grave.

On the day, a member of staff will meet the funeral procession at the chapel or the grave section.

For cremated remains burials, a representative of your family should meet a member of staff with the ashes at an agreed meeting point. You will then be accompanied to the grave or plot.  

You should check the agreed meeting point with your funeral director. 

What happens after the burial?

When the burial has taken place, our professional cemetery team will backfill the grave. When you visit the grave over the first few weeks or months, you may notice that the grave has 'sunk'. This is completely natural and happens as the ground settles following a burial. 

Our staff will inspect the grave over the next 6 months and add more soil if required. The grave will also be seeded where needed. We carry out these inspections based on our experience of how ground settles. You should only contact us about a 'sunken' grave within the first 6 months if there is a safety issue.