Exhumation

Due to varying circumstances including personal family reasons or mass exhumations for town developments, it may be necessary to remove the remains of an individual from a grave.

To exhume human remains, you must first apply for an exhumation licence. There are two types of licence for exhumation, a Bishops Faculty and a Licence from the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Normally you will either need one or the other, although there are certain circumstances where you may require both.

The type of ground remains are to be exhumed from and to determines the exhumation licence that is required.

If human remains are to be exhumed from a grave in consecrated ground and are to be re-interred in consecrated ground in another burial ground, you will only need to apply for a Bishops Faculty.

Under certain circumstances where remains are being removed form consecrated ground, to be either re-interred in the same consecrated grave plot or unconsecrated ground, both a Bishops Faculty and a Licence from the Department for Constitutional Affairs will be required.

If an exhumation is to be carried out from unconsecrated ground to either unconsecrated/consecrated ground, only a Licence is needed.

An application form for a Bishops Faculty can be obtained from the Church of England Diocese for the area where the deceased is interred. This address can be obtained from Bereavement Services. The Diocese make a charge for a Bishops Faculty. Once the application is completed it may take 4 to 6 weeks for a decision to be made.

An application form for a Licence can be obtained from;

Department for Constitutional Affairs,
Coroners Unit,
5th Floor,
Steel House,
11 Tothill Street,
London.
SW1H 9LH

There is currently no charge for this licence.

Enquiries about completion of the form should be directed to the above address or telephone 020 7210 0066.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs will process applications within 20 working days of receipt, unless further information is required. Please note that only original documents will be accepted, not photocopies.

Exhumations are generally carried out early in the morning and an Environmental Health Officer for the Local Authority will be in attendance along with a Funeral Director and Bereavement Services staff.

Exhumation can be expensive as you have the cost of the exhumation, a new outer coffin and the cost of either re-burial or cremation.

If you have any queries on exhumation within the Herefordshire area, please contact the Bereavement Services Manager at:-

Herefordshire Council
Bereavement Services
Crematorium Office
Westfaling Street
Hereford
HR4 0JE

Tel:- 01432 383200
Fax:- 01432 383201
Email:- bereavement@herefordshire.gov.uk