Graveyard - Present Status

Present Status

Thousands of graveyards still stand across the world today and are usually the place where the oldest graves of a community or part of a city can be found.

However, with churches, most notably in England, their churchyards have be been taken over for other functions in part or in whole, with or without a graveyard still situated on it. Also in many cases in the late 19th century and 20th century, churchyards have been acquired in order for a road to be built or expanded. The loss of part (or all) of the churchyard, often also led to the removal and permanent loss of centuries-old graves and headstones. In some cases the human remains were exhumed and the gravestones transferred.

In other cases, the churches themselves removed the headstones in the graveyards, to recreate a park-like environment or wildlife area in the churchyard. Similarly, kerbstones and borders have been removed from the plots to facilitate the seasonal cutting and removal of grass or weeds. Churchyard regulations frequently restrict the type and size of memorial.

Scottish law prevents the clearance of graveyards, largely on the basis of how the title deeds are sold. Titles to burial plots (entitled "lairs") are in perpetuity and therefore can never be moved. In England, although there may once have been a presumption of perpetuity, plots are now effectively bought on leasehold for between 25 and 100 years. Graves or their graveyards may therefore be resold 100 years after the last burial and cleared of graves. On the European continent, long leases are unusual; some may be as short as 5 years, or more typically 25 years. This enables a regular income to be achieved by the owner.