Burial Grounds Committee
24 July 2025
Potential Coffin size restrictions
1. As members are aware we recently had an interment of an ‘American casket’,
the first in the cemetery. The size of the casket led the grave diggers to return
on the day of the interment to widen the grave somewhat and the amount of
spoil piled on top of the grave was significantly greater than usual. Although it
was of no consequence in this instance as the grave was the first one in the
new row, if there had been filled graves adjacent, the space between the
graves would have been lessened and may have led to a cramped
appearance of the row. This has caused consideration of whether there
should be a size restriction on coffins.

2. I sought the advice of Roy Gwinnell, the senior partner in R Gwinnell and
Sons, Funeral Directors, one of our most regular customers, with nine
branches in the locality, with whom we have cordial relations.

3. Mr Gwinnell advised that regular coffins are 24 inches wide whereas
American caskets are 29 inches wide but appear bigger because they are not
tapered but completely rectangular and also have a higher (and fancier) lid.
These caskets are not a regular feature, indeed Mr Gwinnell said he had only
encountered about 20 of them in over 40 years in the business. He did not
think there was a growing trend towards their use.

4. Mr Gwinnell has been the custodian of Mistley Cemetery for many years and
considered that rather than restrict coffin size it might be better to have a
stricter regime in relation to cemetery management. At present we have
inherited a well-ordered regime from our predecessors which has and
continues to run smoothly and has given no cause for change to date.

5. Before the grave diggers attend, we mark the grave with a wooden cross with
a name tag, placing the cross at the centre of the grave. This is approximately
but not precisely 4 feet from the graves on either side. The experienced grave
diggers know this and dig the graves accordingly. There has only been one
instance in the last 6 years where a complaint has been received that a grave
has encroached a little too closely to a reserved plot and even then it was
arguable. The issue was resolved by offering an alternative reservation if the
customer so wished. However, these arrangements have been undertaken by
pacing distances between graves and by eye, lining up graves with the
adjacent rows.

6. With the new row of graves having been only just commenced, Mr Gwinnell
suggested that we may wish to take precise measurements of the location of
graves and the spaces between them and mark the top centre of new graves

with spray paint so that the new grave will be dug precisely equidistant on
each side of the paint marker.

7. Even if an American casket is used, by more precise measurements and
accurate digging there should be adequate gaps between the graves and
when the grass has regrown it should look no different to all the other grassed
over graves. Mr Gwinnell has advised that there needs to be a sufficiency of
walls between dug graves of at least 18 inches and this can be easily
achieved even with the wider American caskets.

8. It is RECOMMENDED that the Clerks develop a methodology for the precise
placement of graves, including the positioning of graves for American caskets
which minimises impact on the appearance of the cemetery due to their
additional size.

Graham White
Parish Clerk
16 July 2025