Can you be buried in your back garden?

While a back garden burial is not a popular option, it is something that a small number of people would like. 

On Moncrieff, UCC lecturer Dr Kate Falconer said while it is possible, it is certainly not an easy thing to organise. 

“In order to be buried on your own private property, you have to go to your local authority, you have to get planning permission to, essentially, establish a cemetery for one or two or three people on your own land,” she explained. 

“As anyone who has gone for planning permission for any form building activity knows, that can be a very long process and there can be lots of forms and lots of back and forth at the local authority. 

“For burial in particular, you’re going to be looking at things like digging test hole, to make sure you’re not too close to the ground water, 

“Environmental impacts, roads and heritage, that kind of thing are all going to need to be looked at as well.” 

However, Dr Falconer warned that graveyards are not popular and people can “generally expect some objections being lodged” if they plan one.

Main image: A burial in rural Ireland. Picture by: Alamy.com.