Churchyard extension

The churchyard immediately surrounding the church was closed to new burials in January 1990, as no further space for graves was available. In order to meet ongoing demand, a churchyard extension was established on land adjacent to the railway at the lower end of Church Lane, on the north side of the church.

The first burial in the churchyard extension took place on 6 July 1899. The extension currently contains 680 graves, four of which are Commonwealth war graves, and there remains capacity for approximately a further 200 graves.

The churchyard extension is available for burials for members of the congregation of St Margaret’s Church; residents of Whitnash; those who have died in Whitnash; and those with a close connection to Whitnash, subject to the approval of the Rector. Records of all burials within the churchyard extension are maintained and held in the church office.

The Garden of Remembrance

Permission has recently been granted by the Diocese of Coventry for the creation of a Garden of Remembrance within the churchyard extension. This space will provide an area for quiet reflection and will include a lawn designated for the interment of cremated remains (ashes).

Preparatory clearance work commenced in January 2026, and it is anticipated that the Garden of Remembrance will be available for interments from autumn 2026. Those wishing to enquire about the interment of ashes in the new Garden of Remembrance are invited to contact the church office.





Churchyard Maintenance

The churchyard is cared for by a dedicated group of volunteers who undertake a range of regular maintenance tasks, including grass cutting and the emptying of litter bins. In addition to this ongoing work, churchyard volunteer mornings are held two or three times each year, usually on a Saturday, when a larger group of volunteers come together to carry out more extensive clearance and general tidying.

Details and dates of forthcoming volunteer mornings are publicised through the weekly church notices, the churchyard notice board, local Facebook groups, and this web page.

Next Churchyard Volunteer Morning:
Saturday 18 April 2026




Memorials

All memorials installed in churchyards within the Diocese of Coventry must comply with the Chancellor’s Churchyard Regulations 2025. In recognition of the distinctive and bespoke nature of St Margaret’s Churchyard Extension, the Chancellor approved the Parish Churchyard Policy for St Margaret’s in January 2026.

The Parish Churchyard Policy takes precedence over the Churchyard Regulations; however, both documents should be read in conjunction with one another. Copies of these documents are available below.

All memorials must receive written approval from the Rector prior to installation. Applications for approval are normally submitted by the memorial stonemason appointed by the family of the deceased.

Parish churchyard policy January 2026
Churchyard regulations 2025

Reservation of a Grave

If you wish to reserve a grave space for a full burial within the churchyard, an application for a Reservation of Gravespace must be completed and submitted to the Diocesan Registrar in order for a faculty (legal permission) to be granted by the Chancellor of the Diocese.

To obtain a copy of the application form, or for guidance and support throughout the process, please contact the church office.