Burial Services in London, Kent and surrounding areas

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William Dunphy Funeral Directors provides professional and compassionate burial services for families across London and the surrounding areas.

From our funeral homes in Brockley and East Dulwich, we can help with every aspect of arranging a burial, whether you are purchasing a new grave, reopening an existing family grave or arranging a burial following a church or religious funeral service.

There are many decisions involved in arranging a burial, and cemetery rules, availability and fees can vary considerably. Our experienced funeral directors will guide you through the options, liaise with the cemetery or churchyard and take care of the necessary funeral arrangements and paperwork.

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Arranging a Burial.

A burial funeral can take place in a local authority cemetery, private cemetery or, where permission and space are available, a churchyard.

The first step is usually to establish whether the family already owns or has burial rights to an existing grave, or whether a new grave needs to be purchased.

William Dunphy Funeral Directors can contact the cemetery on your behalf, check grave availability and burial records, arrange the burial date and time, and coordinate the funeral service and cemetery arrangements.

We can also arrange the coffin, hearse, limousines, flowers, orders of service, funeral bearers and other requirements, allowing the funeral to be personalised according to your family's wishes.

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Can You Be Buried Outside Your Borough?

In many cases, yes. A person does not necessarily have to be buried in the borough where they lived.

However, individual cemeteries and local authorities have their own rules. Some give priority to residents of their borough, and non-residents may have to pay considerably higher burial and grave-purchase fees.

There are also private cemeteries that do not charge for being out of the borough.

If your family has an existing grave in another borough, different rules may apply depending on the cemetery and the rights associated with that grave.

We can contact the relevant cemetery, establish whether a burial can take place and explain any additional charges before arrangements are confirmed.

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Reopening an Existing Family Grave.

If your family already has a grave, it may be possible for another family member to be buried in it, provided there is sufficient space and the necessary burial rights and permissions are in place.

The cemetery will need to identify the grave and check its records before confirming whether it can be reopened.

If you have the original grave deed or details of previous family members buried there, these can be helpful, but don't worry if the paperwork has been lost. In many cases the cemetery can search its burial records using information such as the person's name and approximate date of burial.

William Dunphy Funeral Directors can liaise with the cemetery on your behalf and help establish whether an existing family grave can be reopened.

Where there is an existing headstone or memorial, this may need to be temporarily removed by an approved memorial mason before the grave can be opened.

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New Graves.

If there is no existing family grave, it may be possible to purchase burial rights for a new grave.

Availability varies significantly between cemeteries, and some cemeteries have limited or no availability for new graves.

The cost can also depend on whether the person who has died was a resident of the borough responsible for the cemetery.

We can help you identify suitable cemeteries, check current availability and obtain the relevant fees.

When purchasing a grave, it is important to understand that you are normally purchasing the exclusive right of burial for a specified period rather than purchasing the land itself. The exact terms vary between cemetery authorities.

We will explain the information provided by the chosen cemetery so that you understand the arrangements before proceeding.

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Natural and woodland burials.

Natural or woodland burial can provide an alternative to a traditional cemetery burial for families looking for a more natural setting.

The rules vary between burial grounds. Some restrict traditional headstones, artificial flowers or other grave decorations to maintain the natural environment.

There are natural and woodland burial options in and around London and Kent, including options relatively close to South London.

William Dunphy Funeral Directors can help you explore suitable locations and arrange a natural or woodland burial.

Please see our Natural & Woodland Burials page for further information.

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Church Funerals and Burials.

A funeral service can take place in a church before travelling to the cemetery for burial.

We regularly work with churches and clergy and can coordinate the timings between the church and cemetery.

Depending on the family's wishes, a church funeral may include hymns, readings, prayers, music, a eulogy and other personal tributes.

Burial in the church's own churchyard is a separate matter and depends on whether the churchyard remains open for burials, available space and the rules governing who is entitled to be buried there.

If you would like a church funeral or churchyard burial, we can contact the church and relevant authorities to establish what is possible.

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How Much Does a Burial Cost?

The cost of a burial varies depending on the cemetery, whether a new grave is required, whether the person was a resident of the relevant borough and the type of funeral service chosen.

Typical costs can include the cemetery burial fee, purchase of burial rights for a new grave where required, grave preparation, funeral director's charges, coffin, hearse and vehicles, church or officiant fees, flowers and orders of service.

If an existing memorial has to be removed and later reinstated, there may also be memorial-mason charges.

Because cemetery charges vary considerably across London, we will obtain the appropriate fees for the cemetery you choose and provide a clear estimate before the funeral arrangements are confirmed.

Please see our Funeral Prices page for information about our funeral director's charges, or contact us for an individual quotation.

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Headstones and Memorials.

A headstone or memorial provides a permanent place to remember and commemorate someone who has died.

There are many different styles, materials, inscriptions and designs available, although the cemetery or churchyard will usually have regulations governing the type and size of memorial that can be installed.

A new headstone cannot normally be installed immediately following a burial. The ground usually needs time to settle, and the cemetery or church authority will need to approve the memorial before installation.

Where an existing family grave already has a headstone, it may be possible to add a new inscription following another burial.

William Dunphy Funeral Directors can advise families about memorial arrangements and help put you in contact with an appropriate memorial mason where required.

If you would like to discuss about a memorial please contact our memorial office at out Dulwich branch.

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Need help arranging a burial in London?

William Dunphy Funeral Directors is an independent family funeral director established in 1996, with funeral homes in Brockley and East Dulwich.

We serve families throughout Brockley, East Dulwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Peckham, Dulwich and the surrounding areas of South London and Kent.

Whether you need to purchase a new grave, reopen an existing family grave, arrange a church funeral or simply understand your burial options, our experienced team is here to help.

Please contact us for advice or for immediate assistance following a death.

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