Prices are ex-VAT, but include cartage and fixing in a cemetery or churchyard within 30 miles of our workshop.

All prices are based upon an all-polished black granite memorial; other types of stone will alter the price.

Please also allow for lettering costs and any cemetery or churchyard fees payable.

Our masons will be happy to give a firm quotation when you are satisfied that the memorial design is right for your loved one.

Lettering Prices

Prices are per letter, ex-VAT

Choosing the type of stone for a grave memorial is an important decision, as many other aspects of the design will stem from that choice. Here is a brief guide. Our masons will, of course, be very happy to give you further advice.

Granite

Granite is the hardest memorial stone. This means that it will not weather over time, and is very easy to keep clean. It is available in a wide variety of colours, and the surface may be mirror-polished, honed (smooth), sanded (slightly rough) or rustic (very rough). The surface finish can affect the colour quite dramatically, especially in dark granites.

Because of its hard, granular structure, granites are better suited to simple, bold designs, rather than fine, intricate work. Please note that in Church of England churchyards, only honed light or mid-grey granite may be used.

Black Granite		Mudugal Grey Granite
	Polished
	Honed

	Some Granite Colours
Black	Blue Pearl	Balmoral Red
Dark Grey	Mudugal Grey	Lunar Grey

Welsh Slate

Welsh slate is without doubt the finest memorial stone available. Impervious to water, it will not weather over time and is easy to keep clean. It is very easy to carve and therefore suitable for fine letter design and carvings. Because of its layered structure, it is particularly suitable for 'monolith' headstones. It is not appropriate for designs requiring thicker masses of stone, e.g. very thick headstones or kerb sets. Because of the complexities of extracting fine Welsh slate, it is relatively expensive compared to the other stones we offer. We would be happy to provide a no-obligation quotation on any Welsh slate design.

Limestones

The main types of limestone we use for memorials are Nabresina from Italy, Portland stone from Dorset and Purbeck, also from Dorset. They are all fine memorial stones, suitable for relief carving and hand-carved lettering. All limestones are porous, which means they will require regular cleaning to stay in good condition.

	Nabresina One of the hardest limestones available, Nabresina is a light grey/ beige colour, with a characteristic array of small shells in its structure. It is the only limestone suitable for leaded lettering.
	Portland Used for centuries for fine buildings and memorials, Portland is a quintessentially English stone. Pale cream in colour, it is fine-grained and easy to carve.

Other Memorial Stones

	Purbeck Another traditional English stone, Purbeck is available with a highly characteristic figure of large fossil fragments, or as a ‘Freestone’ which is almost free of shell. It is a very fine quality stone, but also relatively expensive.
	York Stone York stone is a grey/brown sandstone popular for use in churchyards. A relatively coarse-grained stone, it suits bold lettering and design. It also requires regular cleaning to prevent the build-up of algae, etc.
	White Marble Marble is a classic memorial stone suitable for leaded lettering. It has a fine, crystalline structure, which makes it good for relief carving and hand-cut lettering. Marble requires regular cleaning to stay in good condition.
	Cumbrian Green Slate Like Welsh slate this is an excellent memorial stone, long-lasting and good to carve. It is a harder stone than Welsh slate, and so less vulnerable to scratches.

Monumental Masonry - Churchyard and cemetery regulations.

Nearly all cemeteries and churchyards have some form of regulation governing the type of memorial allowed. Most also charge a fee for permission to place a memorial, which is in addition to the purchase of the plot.

Cemeteries and other Burial Grounds

In general, cemeteries allow a much greater variety of stones, sizes and designs than churchyards.It is impossible to summarize regulations here, as each cemetery has its own set of rules.Our masonry team will be happy to advise you on the regulations for your chosen cemetery.Please be aware, however, that many cemeteries will only allow kerb sets in certain sections, and some do not allow kerbs at all.

Church of England Churchyards

All Church of England churchyards have strict regulations set by the diocese intended to preserve the historic character of the sites. These regulations dictate the size of memorial, the types of stone and design allowed, the wording, and even the colour of the lettering.

It is important to note that the incumbent in charge of the churchyard can only authorize memorials which comply with these regulations.

This can cause upset, as you may see non-regulation stones which were placed before the regulations came in, or which have been allowed ad hoc by previous incumbents.

The bottom line, however, is that churchyards may be inspected by diocesan officials, and any non-regulation memorials may have to be removed, even if the incumbent gave permission.

Summary of Church of England Regulations

Our stonemasons will, of course, be happy to answer any questions you may have about churchyard memorials.

Size:

Memorials must consist of an upright headstone, at least 2’6” tall x 20” wide. Smaller stones are permitted for child memorials, or for cremation areas where special permission has been granted by the Diocese.

Type of stone:

The following stones are permitted:

• Light or mid-grey granite with a honed finish
• Nabresina Limestone
• Portland and Purbeck limestone
• York stone
• Welsh slate
• Cumbrian Green slate

Dark or polished granites are not allowed, and neither is marble.

Design:

Lawn headstones, with or without a base, are permitted. Memorials in the form of books, hearts or crosses and kerb sets, are not allowed.

Ornament:

Traditional carvings - e.g. engraved cross or dove - are fine. More contemporary designs - e.g. football or teddy bear - would not be allowed.

Wording:

Headstone engravings which inform the reader about the life of your loved one are encouraged, as are passages from scripture. 'Pet' names and sentimental wording which addresses the deceased are not permitted. Please see our Guide to Choosing a Memorial Inscription for examples.

Lettering Finishes:

Cut letters must be left un-painted, except for the following stones:

• Nabresina - letters may be painted contrasting matt
• Light/mid-grey granite - letters may be painted black matt
• Welsh slate - letters may be painted off-white

Leaded letters and letters finished with gold leaf are not permitted.

We offer a full service of hand-cut and machine-cut lettering. All lettering is cut in our workshop, so you can see the inscription drawn out and discuss any changes you require with a craftsman before the headstone or memorial engraving is begun.

For advice on finding the right wording for your loved one, please see our separate - Guide to Choosing a Memorial Inscription.

Hand-cut or machine-cut?

Hand-cut lettering is drawn by hand and cut with a chisel. It allows total freedom of design. Machine-cut lettering is shot-blasted through a stencil produced from a selection of computer fonts which work well for stone.
Generally, but not always, we machine-cut granites and hand-cut the softer stones which carve better.

Hand-cut only York stone	Hand-cut only Celtic Limestone	Hand-cut and painted light blue
Hand-cut and gilded	Flush-lead	Machine-cut, various finishes

Lettering finishes

Both hand-cut and machine-cut letters are often finished with paint or gold leaf to make them easier to read. Regulations aside, the decision is based on taste. As with all outdoor finishes, you should bear in mind that the paint or gild will need to be renewed from time to time. In marble or Nabresina, the letters may be filled with lead, which provides a more water resistant, longer-lasting finish.

Raised lead

Raised lead lettering is a traditional style seen on hard stones, most often granites. A block of lead is secured into holes drilled in the stone surface, and the letter is then cut out of that block. Done properly, it is a very long lasting letter. However, the lead is usually painted to improve visibility, and this will require occasional repainting. These days, we most often use raised lead letters to match an existing inscription, when adding wording to an older stone.

Lettering Prices

Prices are per letter, ex-VAT

Prices are ex-VAT

Our stonemasons can fashion a fitting memorial for your beloved animal companion. Our pet memorial plaques are cut from the same memorial-quality stone we use in churchyards and cemeteries. They can be personalised with inscriptions and ceramic photo plaques. Our pet memorials are highly durable, easy to care for, and can be placed indoors or outside to provide a tribute befitting a much-loved family member.

Starting prices for the following representative examples of our pet memorials are ex-VAT. They are correct as of July 2020. For the full breakdown of the costs of lettering please see the appropriate section further up on this page.

Black granite pet memorial plaque, measuring 0.75” x 5” x 7”, with ceramic photo plaque: £430

Yorkstone pet memorial plaque measuring 1”x 5”x 7”, with ceramic photo plaque: £440

Please feel free to get in touch for a quotation to meet your specific requirements.

Monumental Masonry - Fixing a memorial.

Our stonemasons recognise the importance of securely fixing a memorial. No-one wants to see their stone tipping over, or worse, being taped up to a stake by cemetery staff. This page has some information about memorial fixing, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

The National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM)

NAMM sets the national standards for memorial fixing in its 'Code of Working Practice'. As members of NAMM, we are committed to keeping to these standards. When your new memorial is fixed, we will present you with a certificate stating that the work has been carried out correctly and giving you an address to contact in the unlikely event that you have a complaint that we are unable to resolve.

The Code of Working Practice sets strict criteria for the sizes of foundations, the dowels used for securing a headstone to its base, and all other fixing details, so you can be confident that the job is done properly.

How a Typical Lawn Memorial is Fixed

First, threaded stainless steel dowels are secured with resin into holes in the bottom of the headstone. These dowels go through holes drilled in the base, and nuts are tightened from underneath with a torque wrench to secure the headstone and base together with the correct pressure. A 3” thick reinforced concrete foundation will be set into the ground on site, and a stainless steel ground anchor driven through it to help prevent tipping. The end of the ground anchor is left sticking up and this locates into a hole in the middle of the base when the memorial is placed, so that the stone cannot fall.

Monolith Headstones

Monolith headstones have a portion of the stone buried in the ground. The stone is fixed to a concrete foundation to ensure stability.

Why Do Memorials Tip?

There are two usual reasons why memorials lean over. One is that an inadequate foundation or ground anchor has been used. The NAMM Code of Working Practice assures neither will be the case.

Occasionally, however, a memorial may tip if the ground it sits on was cut away during digging of the grave. Even if left for the usual six months to settle, the ground can still be unstable in these circumstances. The memorial should stand on uncut ground, but modern digging methods sometimes eat into this ground.

If the ground is obviously unstable, we will recommend delaying installation. However, we do monitor our recently-fixed memorials, and if ground movement does occur, we pride ourselves on rectifying the situation without delay and, of course, without charge

Monumental Masonry - Information for ordering memorials.

There are various stages in creating a new memorial, and sometimes it can be a lengthy process. This page describes the procedure, but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.

Enquiry

If possible, we recommend a visit to our workshop to discuss your requirements with our stonemasons and to see the stones for yourself. Where possible will be happy to produce computer drawings to help you in your decision. When we have finalised the design we will send you a formal, written quotation. Please note that hand-cut designs will need to be finalised after the stone arrives at our workshop.

Quotation

If you are happy with the quotation you receive, we ask that you sign and return one copy to us. We normally require a deposit of one-half to confirm the order.

Cemetery or Churchyard Approval

We must gain approval from the cemetery or churchyard authority for each memorial. We will send you a form for the grave owner(s) to sign and return to us. We will then complete the form and send it on. We can only proceed when approval has been granted.

Ordering Stone

If you are commissioning a new memorial, the stone may have to be ordered. Depending on your choice of stone, it can typically take 6 to 20 weeks for it to be delivered to us.

Layout

When we have the stone, we will mark out the inscription and any carving or design. This will be done in pencil for hand-cut letters, or as a computer print-out for machine-cut letters. We will invite you to check it as changes can easily be made at this stage.

Cutting

When you are wholly satisfied, we will cut the inscription. At busy times, there may be a small delay between checking the inscription and cutting it.

Completion

Once the work is complete, we will send our final account. When this has been settled, we will fix your memorial as soon as weather and ground conditions permit it to be completed safely. Fixing a memorial before the ground is fully settled will most likely result in the memorial sinking or subsiding.