Erith Cemetery

Location

Brook Street
Erith
DA8 1DY

Erith Cemetery was opened in 1894.

Find us

Rail and bus:

  • the nearest railway stations are Erith and Belvedere
  • bus route B12 stops a 2-minute walk away

Car:

  • from the A2, exit at Black Prince interchange
  • take A220, Pinnacle Hill, Barnehurst Rd, Erith Rd/A220 and Brook Street. The cemetery is split across both sides of the road

Burials

This cemetery is closed for full burials.

There is a range of underground burial chambers, sarcophagi and above-ground mausoleum plots overlooking parkland.

Currently available:

  • private earthen plots for babies or non-viable foetuses (suitable for one baby)
  • public earthen plots for babies or non-viable foetuses (babies will be buried with other non-related babies)
  • sarcophagi burial chambers (suitable for one to two interments)
  • mausoleum (suitable for one interment)
  • underground burial vaults memorial terrace (suitable for one to two interments). Some underground burial vaults also have room for cremated remains

Burial of cremated remains

There are a number of options for the burial of cremated remains:

Brook Garden of Remembrance

  • the Brook Garden of Remembrance is suitable for two sets of ashes and plots are owned by the Council
  • permitted memorials are a vase or small tablet which can be ordered from a memorial mason

Half Moon Garden of Remembrance

  • the Half Moon garden is suitable for two sets of ashes
  • permitted memorials are black vases ordered from the Council

Old side garden

  • the old side garden is suitable for two sets of ashes and plots are owned by the Council
  • permitted memorials are small vase or tablet memorial ordered through an approved memorial mason

Memorial Toad Stool

  • plaques can be purchased for children
  • there is no interment of remains

Opening times

  • winter (October to March) 9am to 3.45pm (gates will be closed at this time to allow closing of both sides of Brook Street)
  • summer (April to September) 9am to 6pm

The cemeteries are manned Monday to Friday, except bank holidays.

For all enquiries and further information telephone the Cemeteries Office 020 3045 4100 or email cemeteries@bexley.gov.uk

Terms and conditions for the Memorial Terrace at Erith Cemetery

Side Charging Mausoleum, one interment

1. Ownership

1.1 The chamber, structure and primary memorial shall remain the property of the London Borough of Bexley (“the Council”) throughout the period of the Lease except for those items with previously approved personalised inscriptions that can be detached without damage to the primary memorialisation.

2. Period of the Lease

2.1 The Exclusive Right of Burial for the facilities is offered on a lease for a period of either 50 or 75 years.

3. Charges

3.1 The Council annually reviews its cemetery fees including charges payable in respect of the exclusive burial area at the Memorial Terrace at Erith Cemetery Village. Consequently, fees and charges may rise or fall.

3.2 All charges payable at the time of the entering into a lease will be applied according to the current annual fees set by the Council. These are non-refundable.

3.3 The charge payable upon the execution of the Lease includes the interment and all primary memorialisation.

4. Residents and non-residents

4.1 Fees and charges differ as between residents and non-residents of the London Borough of Bexley. Fees applicable to deceased residents are charged at a lower rate than that of deceased non-residents.

4.2 To qualify for ‘resident charges’, all persons named must reside in the London Borough of Bexley at the date of the application.

4.3 If, at any time after the Lease has been executed, any of the persons named in the Lease are amended, the fees payable in respect of the substituted person(s) will depend upon whether there is residence or non-residence in the London Borough of Bexley at the time of the amendment. If there is an amendment from a resident to a non-resident, no refund will be payable.

5. Maintenance and repair

5.1 It is the responsibility of the holder of the Exclusive Right of Burial (the leaseholder) to ensure that all memorialisation is kept in a continuous state of good repair.

5.2 In the event of any part of the memorial tablet or additional memorialisation falling into disrepair, the leaseholder shall ensure that suitable and proper repairs are to be carried out. If the necessary repairs are not carried out within a reasonable timescale, the Council will serve a Notice upon the leaseholder specifying the works to be carried out and the timescale for doing so. If the leaseholder fails to comply with the terms of the Notice, the Council shall commission the necessary repairs and the leaseholder shall be recharged the cost of such repairs and the administration fees incurred.

6. Additional memorialisation, inscriptions and mementoes

6.1 Additional approved memorialisation (including inscriptions) is available from the Council at an additional cost that shall be confirmed at the time of submission of the application.

6.2 No alterations to the internal dimensions of the burial chambers are physically possible. Consequently, the maximum external size of a coffin or casket at any point, including projecting handles, that can be interred, is 82” long, 30” wide and 21” high (2133 x 762 x 533mm).

6.3 For Mausoleum interment (above ground) metal caskets and zinc-lined coffins are required.

6.4 The Memorial Terrace is an exclusive burial area. In order to maintain the special nature of the terrace, no mementoes are allowed to be permanently placed or fixed on a grave. Items left for special occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries, are permitted. However, they will be carefully removed by the Council after 14 days and stored in the cemetery compound for 28 days. If not collected within the 28 day period, they will be disposed of.

7. Assignment of chambers

7.1 All persons for whom a grave is intended shall be named in the application and lease. No chamber shall remain unassigned.