New Cemetery
The 'New' cemetery was given to the people of Tavistock by the 9th Duke of Bedford, and was opened in 1882. It is situated on the outskirts of this ancient stannary and market town in a pleasant rural setting. The cemetery grounds, with views of distant Dartmoor, are kept to the highest standards with a wide variety of mature trees and flowering shrubs lending the air of a peaceful garden. The new section offers a mainly lawn outlook, with headstones in a wide variety of shapes and colours giving a peaceful and graceful vista.
The cemetery Chapel was designed by Henry Clutton, and made of local Dartmoor granite with internal walls and roof of Corsham Down sandstone. It seats 40 to 50 persons, and contains an organ and Book of Remembrance.
A Garden of Rest is available for the ashes of loved ones, which can also be placed in family graves or scattered elsewhere with names being entered in the Book of Remembrance. In response to growing public interest the Cemetery now accepts 'green' burials. The concept allows for remains to be interred in consecrated land but without the usual trappings of expensive coffin or clearly marked out grave and headstone. Instead the burial is simple, and the area is left much as nature intended, mowed perhaps once or twice a year.
Mourners may also consider providing teak seats to commemorate the life of the deceased. These can be constructed by skilled council craftsmen, bear a simple inscribed plaque and be installed somewhere in the Tavistock area as selected by the bereaved (with the agreement of the landowner).
The Town Council has adopted the IBCA Charter for the Bereaved, and is committed to improving the service offered to the bereaved in Tavistock. For more information on charges and facilities contact the Cemetery Assistant (Mr Martin Fitzgerald) on 01822 612799 or e-mail.