Memorial Safety Inspections

Cemeteries:

Bybrook Cemetery

Canterbury Road Cemetery

Tenterden Cemetery

Willesborough Cemetery

Closed Churchyards:

Grave Yard, Station Road, Tenterden

St Mary’s Church, Ashford Town Centre

St Mary’s Church, Kennington

St Mary’s Church, Stone

St Mary’s Church, Willesborough

St Mildred’s Church, Tenterden

St Michael and All Angels Church

St Michaels, Tenterden

St Peter and Paul Church, Appledore

St Peter’s Church, Newenden

St Peter’s Church, Molash

St Mary’s Church, High Halden

Old burial ground, Vicarage Fields, Ashford

Remains of St Mary’s Church, Little Chart

All memorials are owned by and are the responsibility of the grave owner(s) or their next of kin. However, the council has the obligation of making a memorial safe if it is found to be in an unsafe condition.

It is important to note, regardless of ownership, the council may take action as required to make the memorial safe.

It is difficult to accurately judge how long the testing programme will take but we estimate this to be a maximum of nine months in total across all cemeteries and closed burial grounds.

We will publish a programme of works on our website giving updates on which cemeteries are complete.

The council understands that the inspection work may be upsetting for family and friends of loved ones with a memorial. Great effort will be taken to ensure there is as much communication as possible to create awareness of the planned inspections prior to them starting.

• Notices will be placed on display throughout the cemeteries and closed churchyards regarding planned inspections
• The local clergy will be informed so that they may pass the information onto parishioners
• The council will write to all last known owners of graves/memorials that are being inspected, where records exist (that are 30 years old or less) to notify them of the planned inspections
• All information relating to the inspections will be placed on the council’s website
• The council will issue a press release, converse with local newspapers and publicise inspections on social media

Under no circumstances should families test their own memorials as they may injure themselves or other members of the public. In addition, memorial stones may also be damaged.

Note: Ashford Borough Council cannot accept liability for anyone who injures themselves whilst attempting to inspect or test any memorial stone.

The council will risk assess and test memorials in accordance with their inspection and testing procedure:

1. Memorials up to 500mm full visual inspection and hand stress test
2. Memorials 500-1500mm full visual inspection, primary hand stress test
3. Memorials 1500-2500mm full visual inspection, primary hand stress test (non-complex structures), review for more complex structures in line with (d) below
4. Memorials over 2500mm and complex structures full visual inspection, note potential problems and consider cordon off, follow up full inspection supported by a structural engineer and/or qualified stonemason
5. Where deemed necessary by inconclusive hand stress test, a mechanical force test will be carried out by a competent individual

Note: The primary hand test is to test whether memorials can withstand a reasonable hand force, which replicates the pulling against a memorial.

Each memorial will be categorised once inspected.

Category 1: immediate action will be taken to make the memorial safe. This may result in the memorial being carefully laid flat/rested to alleviate any risk of injury. Where a memorial is a listed item, the memorial may be temporarily supported or the memorial temporarily barriered.

Category 2: the memorial is not an immediate danger but is not fully stable and will need to be monitored every 12 months to assess any further deterioration.

Category 3: the memorial is found to be perfectly stable and will only need to be inspected in five years’ time.

All inspection results will be detailed on the council website as well as within onsite notice boards.

The council will also endeavour to contact the last known grave owner, where records exist of every memorial that is less than 30 years old. We will provide details of the assessed condition of the memorial and what action has been taken, or is required to be taken, to stabilise or make safe the memorial.

Unfortunately, it will be inevitable that the council will try to make contact by letter with grave owner(s) who may have since passed away themselves. Please accept the council’s sincerest apologies if this should happen, as we certainly do not wish to upset anyone. We would appreciate it if you could let us know if this happens so that we can update our records.

If you believe the information we hold in relation to a grave you own is incorrect, please contact us so we can check this for you.

For those memorials deemed as category 1 and laid down, a notice will be attached to the grave to inform any relatives or visitors. This is in the event that the address held on our files is no longer valid and we have been unable to reach the owner or their next of kin via other communication methods.

No. You must contact a memorial mason as soon as possible to arrange for it to be fixed and made safe. An accredited memorial mason will ensure that work carried out on the memorial is done to the proper professional standards and they will also ensure the correct paperwork and permissions are obtained.

If repairs are undertaken by someone other than a NAMMs or BRAMMs approved stonemason, the owner is then liable for the safety of the memorial and any injury or accidental damage it may sustain.

If you have any concerns over the safety of your memorial or you have any further questions please contact the council’s Cemeteries Officer on 01233 330472 or email cemeteries@ashford.gov.uk.