Memorials – Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery

The owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial of a plot has the right to have a memorial erected on the grave or to make alterations to an existing memorial.  An application needs to be made by a BRAMM or NAMM registered mason to Barry Town Council before permission will be granted for work to be carried out.  A permit fee must also be paid at the time of application. This is usually made by the mason on your behalf.

Permit fees for 2023/24 –

On new sections at Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery the memorial can be installed as soon as the plot behind has been used.  This is to ensure your memorial is not damaged during the excavation process. At Porthkerry Cemetery and on older sections of Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery you will need to wait until the ground is fully settled, this process will take from nine months to a year.  The memorial mason will liaise with the Cemetery office to find out when this can go ahead.

Headstones on cremated remains plots are not subject to these time restrictions.

There are conditions relating to the size of memorials and the planting and maintenance of graves.  All new graves are designated lawn and no obstructions are allowed on the surface of the grave. On full burial plots an area 36” across by 22” out from the concrete strip is permitted for grave sets or bedding plants.  No glass or ceramic items or containers may be placed in this area.  The entire surface of cremated remains plots must be kept clear.

These restrictions are in place in order to allow staff to carry out their daily tasks in a safe manner and to prevent damage to items left in front of the graves.  If not adhered to you will be notified in the first instance and if not rectified within given time scales items may be removed.

Unpurchased graves

In an unpurchased grave, the Council is the holder of the rights. This means that the people buried in the grave will usually be unrelated and there are no specific rights to have a memorial.

Older unpurchased graves may remain unmarked but you can purchase a temporary wooden or plaque.

You may prefer to purchase a small memorial from a Memorial Mason, for which there is a memorial application fee. The only permanent memorial permitted is a small headstone, maximum 18” high and 18” wide and other family members of those interred within the grave can also place a memorial. You do not need to purchase the EROB to place one of these memorials on an unpurchased grave, as long as it complies with the size restrictions specified.

Memorial Safety

As a Burial Authority, Barry Town Council has a duty under Local Authorities’ Cemeteries Order 1977 (LACO) to maintain the burial ground in good order.  The Council also has duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA74) to do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that visitors and those working in burial grounds are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

A grave owner is responsible for ensuring the memorial is in a safe condition and paying for any repairs required.  Barry Town Council strongly recommends that memorial insurance is sought.

Memorial Inspection Programme

Barry Town Council, in accordance with health and safety legislation, undertakes an ongoing inspection programme to check the condition of memorial headstones within its cemeteries.  Memorials are inspected by trained staff. Should a memorial be identified as dangerous, then it is required to be made safe immediately.

Memorials found to be unsafe and likely to cause serious injury may be laid flat or “lowered down” into the excavated area at the head of the grave in front of the memorial base (this will enable some or all of the inscription to remain visible).

Alternatively, the memorial may be “staked and banded” by the Council Memorial Inspector.  The stakes and bands are attached to the memorials to ensure that the danger of the memorial in question falling and cause damage or harm to staff and visitors to the cemetery is reduced.

As this is part of a programme introduced by government legislation it is an offence for the bands to be removed by anyone other than the Memorial Inspector or a Memorial Mason engaged to carry out repairs to the said memorial on behalf of the family.

Whist Barry Town Council endeavour to contact the last known registered grave owner if a memorial has been found to be unsafe, this may not always be possible as many graves have not been transferred or owners have moved away from the original address given, without informing the Council.  To update your contact details please contact the Administration team at Barry Town Council

If you have any concerns about the testing, want information about how to make your memorial safe or need to report an unsafe memorial please contact the Barry Town Council Office.

Other types of Memorial Available

Temporary Wooden Plaques

Barry Town Council can supply a staked wooden plaque which can be used as a grave marker.  The plaques are produced at the Council’s office meaning we can offer a wide range of options.  It is possible to incorporate text and a photograph or image. You may wish to include names, dates, family names or a message of condolence or memory.

A variety of fonts and layouts are available and draft copies will be sent to you for your approval or revision. The fee for designing and producing the plaque and supplying a wooden stake is £36.

Please contact the Barry Town Council Office to discuss the design of your plaque.

Garden of Remembrance Planters and Kerb Plaques (Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery only)

We have three Gardens of Remembrance at Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery, including a a dedicated Babies Garden of Remembrance which provide a peaceful areas where family and friends can spend time reflecting on the memory of their loved ones.  We have plaques available on both the kerbs and planters of both gardens. It is possible to purchase a plaque even if your loved one is not interred at the Cemetery.

Garden of Remembrance Plaque Prices

Bench Plaques

Families and friends are able to place a plaque on a bench already in situ.  Bench plaques cost £88 and each bench is able to accommodate up to six plaques.

Book of Remembrance

The Book of Remembrance is a book in our Chapel in which families and friends of the deceased can leave a lasting memorial of their loved ones, hand written by a Calligrapher.  The Chapel can be unlocked on request in order for the book to be viewed.

Prices are based on wording and illustration so please enquire for details.