We provide a wide range of burial options, including traditional, woodland, Muslim and Jewish burials.
About burials | Burials: questions and answers | Woodland and orchard burials | Cremated remains | Muslim burials | Jewish burials | Home and private burials | National Assistance burials
The grave space is dug for 1 or 2 people (in some of our cemeteries we can offer graves for 3 people) with the option to inter cremated remains at a later date. The grave will be dug and dressed before you arrive at the cemetery.
We will be at the cemetery to meet the funeral procession and we will check the nameplate on the coffin. Bearers will carry the coffin to the graveside where the coffin will be lowered into the ground.
You can sprinkle soil of throw flowers onto the coffin. Once the mourners have left the cemetery the grave diggers will backfill the soil and place the funeral flowers on top of the grave. The grave will be mounded at this point to allow the soil to settle, and we may have to top up the grave within the first 12 months.
Floral tributes will be removed after 3 weeks to help us keep the cemetery in a clean and tidy condition. You will need to wait for 6 to 12 months until you can erect a headstone as the ground needs time to settle.
7 of our cemeteries have space for full burials: Bron y Nant, Llanrhos, Erw Hedd, Rhandir Hedd, Tan y Foel, Cae Melwr and Llangwstenin.
Most burials are arranged through a funeral director who will deal with the paperwork on your behalf. They will take care of your loved one until the day of the funeral and will supply the hearse (and limousines if requested) to bring you to the cemetery. If you wish to arrange a burial without a funeral director please contact the Bereavement Services team who will be able to advise you.
For more information or to discuss your requirements call us on 01492 577733 or email us at BereavementServices@conwy.gov.uk.
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A grave may be purchased from the council and the grave owner then has the right to bury in the grave and to place a memorial on it.
The ownership of the land does not transfer, the Council owns all the land within the cemeteries. The rights to a grave are purchased for a legal maximum of 100 years. At the end of the period the lease may be renewed otherwise the rights transfer back to the Council.
The grave owner receives a deed to the grave which is a legal document and should be kept in a safe place. If you wish to transfer the deed to a new owner, please contact the administrative office on 01492 577732.
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Graves are laid out in a regular pattern within the cemeteries. Once all the grave plots have been purchased, we cannot offer any new grave sites within that cemetery.
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Depending on the site, up to three burials can be accommodated in each grave - but this must be requested at the time of the first burial. Once a grave has no further room for full coffin burials, it is possible for caskets of cremated remains to be buried in the grave.
If you prefer a more natural funeral, we offer woodland and orchard burial areas within some of our cemeteries.Once the burial is completed, we will plant a tree at the head of the grave which will provide a lasting memorial to your loved one. The woodland and orchard will eventually provide a wildlife habitat providing food and shelter for local wildlife.
Planting the tree means we are not able to reopen the grave in the future, so these plots are single graves only. You can bury cremated remains in the grave at a later date as this does not affect the tree roots.The woodland areas are maintained less frequently that our other sections to encourage biodiversity. The areas will usually be once a year. Orchard areas are maintained more regularly but not to the standard of the lawn cemetery.
There are restrictions on memorials and tributes in these areas, so please consider a woodland or orchard burial carefully and ask our staff for guidance.
Woodland and orchard burials: questions and answers
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Headstones are not used on this type of burial site, and vases of flowers, statues or other artificial objects cannot be left at the graveside. This is not a traditional cemetery, it is a place where graves become part of the landscape.
Cut flowers will not normally be allowed. The only exception to this is those left on the grave at the time of interment. These should be bare stemmed with no cellophane or decorative wrapping. They will be removed when the flowers start to look unsightly.
Suitable native wild flowers or bulbs may be planted on the grave plot following consultation with the parks manager responsible for the site.
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Only biodegradable coffins made of natural timber, cardboard, or woven grass will be permitted to ensure that the woodland burial area remains as natural as possible. No plastic or metal handles or inserts should be used. The same conditions also apply to cremated remains caskets.
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All grave plots in the woodland area will be for one person. It is not possible to reserve graves. Plans have been developed to provide adequate space for woodland burials in Conwy’s and other local authority-owned cemeteries where space permits.
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Each grave (including ashes plots) is marked with a unique number, which is attached to a stout wooden stake and carefully recorded on a detailed plan kept in the cemetery office at Colwyn Bay Crematorium
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When a burial takes place at Llanrhos, Tan y Foel or Llanfairfechan, the arrangements are at the discretion of the family of the deceased. You might choose to organise a funeral in the traditional way, using a Funeral Director, with a service followed by committal.
Alternatively, you may wish to purchase the grave and grave digging through the Council and then make the remaining arrangements yourself.
We understand that flexibility is important, and as long as all conditions are met, most things are possible.
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After the burial has taken place, we record all the details in our Burial Register (required by law) and issue a deed giving exclusive right of interment.
There are various options with burying ashes and important things to consider. If the ashes are scattered under the turf of an existing grave they will not be recoverable. If you bury ashes in a new or existing grave, you will need a special licence from the government to remove them.
You may choose to attend the burial and have a short service. You are able to say anything you like, sing or read a prayer or poem, before you (or a member of Bereavement Services) places the remains in the ground. The ashes must be in a biodegradable container with the name of the deceased clearly showing.
We offer cremated remains plots in Abergele, Bron y Nant, Erw Feiriol, Llangwstenin, Llanrhos and Tan y Foel cemeteries. These are small graves which take up to 4 sets of cremated remains. If you would like to bury ashes within an existing grave you will need permission from the grave owner.
We provide an area in Llanrhos Lawn Cemetery for Muslim burials.
Muslim graves will be prepared in accordance with procedures agreed with the Muslim community and in line with Muslim practice. The grave will be aligned towards Mecca on a north-east to south-west axis.
Muslim burials: questions and answers
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Many cemeteries level graves to make the cemeteries easier to maintain. We understand that this is strictly forbidden in the Muslim faith. Therefore, we will strim the grass on a regular basis taking care not to encroach on the grave space.
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Yes, we are able to offer a Muslim burial within a 24 hour period provided that all necessary documentation is in order.
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No. We permit non-coffin burials, or shroud burials, in Llanrhos Lawn Cemetery.
The burial section at Llanrhos is run on liberal Judaism lines, with arrangements left up to the bereaved family to decide how they wish to hold the funeral and mourn afterwards.
Rabbis and congregational leaders can give guidance and explain Jewish customs where required, but our policy is to let families and individuals make their own decisions.
We expect that funerals will not take place on the Sabbath (Saturday) - burials are available every other day of the week. Graves are dug to the request of the family and can be for up to three burials.
Occasionally it is the wish of someone to be buried within the grounds of their property, and from an environmental health perspective there is no law which prevents a burial on private land providing there is no risk to public health.
For such burials there are certain regulations and procedures which must be followed together with technical requirements for the burial site.
Whilst the burial plot is the choice of the deceased or their relatives, consideration should be given to the practical and long term implications such as the value of the property and the family moving house in the future.
There are occasions when someone dies and there are no relatives or friends to arrange a funeral. When no suitable arrangements can be made, we can provide assistance in the burial or cremation of the deceased person. In these circumstances the funeral arrangements will be made with the funeral director nominated by the Council, it is therefore important that contact is made with us prior to finalising any arrangements with another undertaker. If the deceased person has not made known their funeral preference to be buried or cremated, then a cremation will take place.
We will arrange a basic funeral service although this will not cover the provision of flowers, transport (other than the hearse) or notices in local newspapers. Advice will be given on these and other necessary arrangements. The funeral ceremony will be conducted as far as possible with the deceased's beliefs, with a chapel service held at the crematorium.
If the deceased has left any money in a bank / building society, from an insurance policy or pensions this will be used towards the funeral expenses. Should any personal effects remain, the Council will make arrangements for disposal of these items. If possible property is sold and the money offset against the cost of the funeral.
If you would like more information, please call 01492 577733 or email us at BereavementServices@conwy.gov.uk.