Cemetery memorial inspections

Oxford City Council is conducting a thorough inspection of gravestones across Oxford, a process that began in 2007. This is part of our commitment to public safety, fulfilling legal requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Cemeteries Team is responsible for these memorial inspections.

Gravestone inspection procedure

The inspection process involves:

• a visual inspection of all gravestones
• stability testing
• securing unstable headstones, primarily with wooden stakes or, if necessary, laying larger memorials flat within the grave space

Public notices are displayed in areas under inspection to inform visitors about the ongoing work. Families responsible for the memorials will be notified about unstable headstones and are requested to contact the Cemeteries Service for further action. All inspection records are maintained at the Cemeteries Office in Wolvercote.

Results of the inspections

We expect that only a small percentage (around 1%) of memorials will be found unstable. Memorials erected since September 2005 are likely to meet the new standards, ensuring long-term stability and security.

Memorial safety guidelines

For more information on our approach to memorial safety, you can download the Memorial Safety Policy here.