Cemeteries and estates
Cotswold District Council own and maintain the following cemeteries in Cirencester:
- Chesterton Cemetery
- Stratton Cemetery
Our cemeteries are bound by the rules and regulations of the ‘The Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977.
Terms And Conditions Of Cemeteries Updated 2025 - pdf - 65 Kb
Cemetery opening times for visitors:
Monday - Friday 7.30am to 8pm (Summer hours) to 5pm (Winter hours)
Saturday 8am to 5pm
Sunday and Bank Holidays 10am to 5pm
Please note Christmas opening hours:
Although the cemeteries will be open as normal , please note the days below when cemetery staff will not be on site.
Christmas Eve – 24th December – The cemetery staff will be on site until 12:00- NO BURIALS
Christmas Day – 25th December – NO BURIALS
Boxing Day – 26th December - NO BURIALS
New Years Day – 1st January 2026 – NO BURIALS
Burials Administration will be closed from Thursday 18th December until 1st January inclusive. Please ensure that bookings for the Christmas period are booked by 18th December 2025
Christmas wreaths will be removed during the last week of January. All Christmas items which family/friends wish to keep should be removed by this date.
Please send all communication to bereavement@cotswold.gov.uk
Burials administration team
The Burials Administration Team is located at Cotswold District Council, Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX.
For information regarding our cemetery services, please contact the burials team:
- Telephone: 01285 623000
- Email: The burials team
The Burials team can:
- Search for relatives buried at either Chesterton or Stratton Cemetery
- Advise about reserving and purchasing a grave space
- Help to make funeral arrangements for the interment of cremated remains, without the services of a Funeral Director
- Answer general enquiries about Chesterton or Stratton Cemetery
Rules and regulations
Plot 29 at Chesterton Cemetery
Plot 29 opened in 2012 and the following information sets out the standards that Cotswold District Council expects in relation to any interment undertaken there. All new graves are laid to lawn, with plantings confined to the memorial end of the grave.
There are two reasons for this:
- It makes the cemetery more tidy and attractive, as this is easier to maintain
- It is easier and safer for visitors to walk around to find a particular grave
In order to maintain this standard, requirements are detailed below:
- Graves are allocated on the basis of the next available plot in the row
- Requests to choose a grave will be considered, but the choice will be limited to the available plots within the row
- All planting is restricted to a maximum 12 inches from the memorial end of the
grave - No kerbstones are permitted
- No grave mounds are permitted
- No individual gardens can be planted
- Wooden crosses are not permitted
For all other plots within the cemetery the same regulations will apply but planting is restricted to a soil border (18 inches maximum) at the memorial end of graves.
Should any contraventions be found, the Burials Administration Team would contact the grave owner requesting the grave be returned to its original state. Failure to do so will result in the council removing said items and returning the grave to its original state as detailed above.
Fees and charges for Chesterton and Stratton cemeteries
Researching burial records of a loved one
We hold burial records for Chesterton Cemetery and Stratton Cemetery only.
Records for all other burials are held by the Local Parish or Town Council or by the church if the interment was in a churchyard.
Green burial
A green burial is designed to sensitively lay to rest someone in an ecologically friendly way.
For more information about green funerals, types of coffins and woodland burial sites, please contact the:
Stratton Cemetery
Stratton cemetery now have a limited number of spaces on Plot 12 for new full burials and reservations. Due to the condition of the ground, all grave spaces on this plot are restricted to a Single Depth only.
If you wish to reserve a grave space on Plot 12 please email bereavement@cotswold.gov.uk
Trees and benches
We have now reached full capacity for memorial benches and trees at both Chesterton and Stratton cemeteries. Therefore, any future requests for memorial benches and trees will not be permitted.