For funeral directors
The garden is a natural burial section within All Saints Cemetery, Portsmouth. It follows a short set of rules that differ from a conventional interment. This page sets them out so you can prepare the family and the remains before the day.
Interments are scheduled by telephone with the cemetery office. Because funerals are also held on site, please call before confirming a date or time with the family.
Embalming agents and other treatments intended to artificially preserve remains are not permitted. Remains embalmed for any reason cannot be interred in the garden.
Please hold remains under refrigeration until the interment, and plan the date with the family with that in mind.
Clothing and anything placed with the deceased should be natural and biodegradable wherever possible.
Any container made from natural, biodegradable materials is welcome. No particular manufacturer, vendor or style is required. If a container is unusual, please confirm it with the office before the interment.
A shroud must be natural and biodegradable and allow the deceased to be handled safely and reverently. A biodegradable carrying board or similar support may be required where cemetery staff judge it necessary.
Cremated remains are interred in a biodegradable container or in another manner approved by the cemetery. Scattering is not permitted in the garden.
The grave is dug professionally with hand tools before you arrive.
Families are welcome to help close the grave when conditions safely permit. Staff provide guidance and tools.
Cemetery staff close the grave by hand after the interment. This takes time, so please allow it to be finished without hurry.
No vault or liner is used, so the ground settles naturally over time. Grading and reseeding are handled by the cemetery.
The cemetery’s open and close fee starts at $5,900 and covers the grave space, the grave dug by hand, the interment and closing by hand. It is paid to the cemetery. Funeral home, transportation, celebrant, container and memorial charges are separate and are not collected by the cemetery.