Choosing a Memorial

A memorial is the traditional way of paying tribute to a relative or friend who has died. It is a permanent symbol of remembrance, so it is important that its design should be carefully chosen. Memorials may take many forms and those erected in cemeteries or courtyards need to withstand all kinds of weather for many years, be of strong and durable material, and take a permanent carved inscription (and possibly additional ones in later years).

It should harmonise with the environment of the cemetery or churchyard. Granite is the most durable of materials from which a memorial can be made because of these ageless qualities. It can be highly polished, smooth or of tooled finish. White marble does weather after many years but can easily be cleaned. Natural stone is the more porous of these materials and therefore weathers in a lesser period of time and also discolours more quickly. This is why memorials are supplied by stone masons because we specialise in this type of craft work.

Although Churchyard and Cemetery regulations do vary from place to place, cemeteries do not restrict the colour of material or its finish and the full range of materials featured on our website will be acceptable. Portland, York, Purbeck, Slate and the lighter Grey Granites are all of durable quality and widely used by church authorities everywhere. It is important that the memorials erected should harmonise with their surroundings.

Specific letter finishes can be applied to certain materials but not to others. The list below is to assist you in choosing your lettering finish. On granite you can also specify imperishable raised letters in enamel or gilded finish.