A Brief History
The original 12 acre site for Stapenhill Cemetery was purchased from the Marques of Anglesey by the Burial Board of Burton upon Trent in 1864. The cost of the initial purchase was £4,800.
The consecration of areas within the Cemetery was carried out on the 25th of May 1866 and the first burial took place on the 12th of June 1866. The year 1866 is inscribed on the main entrance to the Cemetery together with the town’s coat of arms.
In 1883, the Cemetery was enlarged to 22 acres and now, more than 115 years later, covers an area of 30 acres.
In over 150 years from its opening, 68,000 burials have taken place. The Cemetery currently carries out approximately 200 burials per year.
Fees and charges
Search for burial records online
The Council has digitised all records, including burial register scans and added them to the specialist family history website Deceased Online. Users can search free of charge by name and date and there is a small fee to download register scans or access grave details.
The Layout of the Cemetery
You may choose whether burial is to take place in:
1. A Purchased Grave.
This is a grave in which you purchase ‘the Exclusive Right of Burial’. This means that no one, apart from yourself, may be buried in the grave without your written consent. You may also arrange for a memorial to be placed on a purchased grave. The Exclusive Right of Burial is purchased for a period of 50 years. Graves may be dug for the burial of one person only or for one with space for a subsequent burial.
2. A Public (or Common) Grave.
This is a grave in which there is no Exclusive Right of Burial. No memorials are permitted on the grave. Where space permits, further burials may take place in the grave.
Within the Purchased Grave category there is a choice of burial areas in the Cemetery:
- Consecrated: This is ground that has been consecrated in accordance with the rites of the Church of England.
- General: This is unconsecrated ground.
- Roman Catholic
- Woodland Burial: In the Woodland Burial area single depth burials are marked with the planting of a tree on the grave. No other memorials are permitted in this area. In time the site will be established as a mixed deciduous woodland.
- Forget Me Not Garden: The Garden is a joint venture between East Staffordshire Borough Council and Burton SANDS. It is an area that has been set aside specially for the burial of babies and young children. At its centre is a Garden where those who have lost a baby either recently or in the past may place a Remembrance plaque.
- Cremated Remains: You may purchase the Exclusive Right of Burial in a Cremated Remains plot in which there is space for the burial of four sets of Cremated Remains. You may arrange for a memorial to be placed on the plot.
You may hold the funeral service in the Chapel which is situated in the Cemetery grounds. Alternatively, you may hold the service in church and have the final committal by the graveside.
The Chapel may be used for services of any denomination or religion or for non-religious ceremonies. Any individual requirements for the funeral service will be met whenever possible. Traditional funeral patterns do not have to be rigidly followed. You may wish to devise your own, very personal service. We will make every effort to accommodate your wishes.
The Chapel is equipped with an organ, compact disc player and tape deck. There is seating for 60 people.
The Cemetery Office is accessed through two sets of single doors (push). There is a ramp / slope (with handrails on the left going up) leading from the car park to the entrance of the Cemetery Office. There are 9 steps in front of the entrance; the ramp / slope bypasses the steps. There is level access to the reception desk; the desk has a low section.
The Chapel is accessed through two sets of single doors (push). There is a ramp / slope located in front of the entrance. There is level access to this service. Motorised scooters are allowed in public parts of the venue. There is no designated area for wheelchair users and, as space is limited, the wheelchair will either be placed at the back or at the front of the Chapel.
The Cemetery is not on level ground; there are some easy, moderate and steep slopes on the concrete paths throughout the cemetery.
Assistance dogs are welcome when accompanied by their owners / handlers. A bowl of water can be provided for an assistance dog.
There is a car parking, free for all users, located at the front and there is one designated parking bay with disabled marking. The route from the car park to the entrance is accessible to a wheelchair user but assistance may be required as there are slopes / ramps.
There is a hearing assistance system, a fixed loop, and staff are trained to use the system. It is available in the Chapel.
There are accessible toilet facilities located in the Cemetery Office. The toilet has level access, pictorial signage on or next to the door and a key is not required to access it.
Documents can be requested in large print.