It is possible to be buried on your own private land. 

There are some important things to consider and be aware of before proceeding with a home burial and we've outlined a few of these below. 

​Private land or home burials can enable families and friends to maintain total control over the proceedings and reduce costs significantly by avoiding the use of a funeral director. Some people choose to make their own coffin or dispense with this altogether, using a simple shroud instead.

Some things to consider:

Permission must be expressly given by the landowner to bury a body on private land and any party with an interest in it e.g. a mortgage company must be notified.

The Environment Agency guidelines to protect water should be met:

• No burials should be within thirty metres (one hundred feet) of a spring or standing or running water, ten metres (thirty feet) of a dry ditch or field drain, or fifty metres (one hundred and fifty feet) of a well, borehole or spring that supplies water for any use
• If the deceased person died from any highly contagious (notifiable) disease or ailment, they may not be buried at home
• The grave should not contain any standing water when first dug and not be in very sandy soil.

Consult with the local environmental health officer if there are any doubts about the proximity to water courses.

• You need a Certificate For Burial form from the registrar or coroner before proceeding.

• Consider whether the land / garden and property will remain in the family and how it might feel should the future sale of the property become a reality. 

• ​Add the information about the burial and the location of the site to any deeds or documents for the property.

• There are no laws about grave depth, but council cemeteries are required to leave two or three feet of soil above the top of the coffin. The Environment Agency recommends there should be a metre of subsoil below the coffin too. If in any doubt, call the Environment Agency 03708 506 506 to be put through to your local branch or see their website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency#org-contacts

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Further Information

The Natural Death Centre is an excellent charity, formed to support a less formalised routine for funerals as well as advocating for public  empowerment and an informed approach to death. We'd strongly recommend being in touch with them for further advice and guidance for private land burials: http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/index.php?page=home-burial

The above information is intended as general information only and Heart & Soul Funerals does not bear any responsibility for errors or omissions 2026.