Booking a burial
All bookings must be made by calling the cemetery office on 02088781934. Bookings by email will not be accepted.
Burials can take place any time between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday. The last time into Chapel will be 1.20pm and the last time direct to grave 2pm, unless the family wish to backfill then the last time direct to grave will be 1.30pm.
Interment forms
The areas shaded in red on the fist page of the interment form should be emailed to the cemetery office within 48 hours of the booking to confirm the burial.
Notice of interment form (pdf 239KB)
Notice of interment of cremated remains (pdf)
Once the interment form has been signed this should be emailed to the cemetery office as soon as possible together with a copy of the registrar’s certificate (green) or coroners burial order.
All interment notices and registrars’ certificates must be emailed to the cemeteries generic email address cemeteries@lbhf.gov.uk if you email cemetery officers direct emails the interment form may be missed as they could be in a meeting or on annual leave.
The original paperwork can be delivered to the cemetery office or brought on the day of the burial.
Failure to send the interment form and registrars certificate in sufficient time may result in the burial being cancelled.
Coffin sizes
The coffin or casket size should be emailed to the cemetery no later than 3 working days before the burial.
Outside measurements must be given of the shoulder, foot and length of the coffin. We do not need to know inside measurements of the coffin
Where a casket is over 6’8’’ X 26’’ the grave purchase fee will be doubled.
Where the coffin does not taper at the foot and has straight edges this will be deemed a casket and extra fees may apply.
All coffins should be measured in feet and inches.
Please make the cemetery aware as soon as possible if the coffin is made of wicker, bamboo or the like.
The burial
At Mortlake Cemetery you will always be met at gate by a Cemetery Officer. The only time this does not apply is if the service is being held in the cemetery chapel, in this case the officer will meet you outside the chapel. At North Sheen Cemetery please report to the Cemetery Office. Under no circumstance should a funeral cortege proceed to the grave side without the attendance of a Cemetery Officer. If you are unable to find the Cemetery Officer, please call the Cemetery Office.
If the burial is running early or late, please advise the Cemetery Office. Please note a late fee may be charged in the case that cortege arrives late.
Funeral directors must ensure that they provide sufficient trained staff for every burial, even in cases where the family have chosen to carry/lower the coffin. Cemetery staff are not permitted to lower coffins where there are insufficient bearers
Family may lower the coffin if they wish, however this is done at their own risk and the cemetery cannot be held responsible for any accident or injuries that may occur.
If the cemetery officer feels that there is a health and safety risk for the family to lower the coffin, then this must be undertaken by trained funeral staff.
If the family wish to backfill the grave the funeral director must remain at the grave side till the end of the backfill. If a funeral director leaves the cemetery during this time the backfill will be stopped immediately.
Coffins can be opened during a cemetery chapel service with prior permission from the Cemeteries Manager. Opening a coffin within the cemetery grounds is not permitted.