Lewes and Seaford cemetery fees
Current burial and cemetery fees for cemeteries managed by Lewes District Council, effective from 1 April 2026. Lewes District Council operates Lewes Cemetery and Seaford Cemetery under the Lewes and Eastbourne Councils partnership. Parishioner (resident) fees apply to anyone who paid council tax to Lewes District Council at the time of death, or within the 18 months before it.
Lewes Cemetery is now a closed cemetery. All full-burial plots have been used or pre-purchased, so no new full-burial spaces are available. Burials can still take place in pre-purchased plots or by reopening an existing grave at the owner’s instruction. Ashes plots remain available in the Garden of Rest and the recently extended Garden of Rest West. Seaford Cemetery remains open, with new grave spaces available in the Eastern Section for both full burials and ashes interments – these cannot be reserved in advance and are only allocated at the time of booking an interment.
Source: Lewes and Seaford Cemetery Fees and Charges 2026, published by Eastbourne Crematorium (the joint bereavement service operated by Lewes and Eastbourne Councils), effective 1 April 2026. The council’s old lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk cemetery fees page has been retired; current fee schedules and cemetery information are now published on eastbournecrematorium.co.uk.
Grave purchase fees (Exclusive Right of Burial)
Full-burial grave purchase is only available at Seaford – Lewes Cemetery has no new full-burial plots to sell.
| Grave type | Parishioner (resident) | Non-parishioner |
|---|---|---|
| Adult grave (Seaford lawned sections only) | £2,000 | £4,000 |
| Child grave, up to 12 years (Seaford only) | £500 | £500 |
| Child grave, 13–17 years (Seaford only) | £700 | £700 |
| Cremated remains grave, 2 sets of ashes (Lewes Garden of Rest West or Seaford Eastern E) | £600 | £1,200 |
Interment fees
| Service | Parishioner (resident) | Non-parishioner |
|---|---|---|
| Adult single depth (6’0”) | £1,500 | £3,000 |
| Adult double depth (7’6”) | £1,800 | £3,600 |
| Adult triple depth (9’0”, by prior agreement only) | £2,000 | £4,000 |
| Oversized coffin (over 28” up to 30”) | £200 | £200 |
| Child, up to 12 years | £315 | £315 |
| Child, 13–17 years | £690 | £690 |
| Interment of cremated remains, any grave | £300 | £600 |
Additional services
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Chapel hire, service only (45 minutes) | £250 |
| Chapel hire, burial (45 minutes) | £200 |
| Witnessed ashes scattering (Mon–Fri, 10am–2pm) | £50 |
| Unwitnessed ashes scattering | No charge |
| Search fee (grave, map, plot checker, emailed) | £20 |
| Transfer of grave ownership (probate, statutory declaration or assignment) | £125 |
| Replacement copy of deeds | £25 |
| Exhumation | Price on application |
Memorial permit fees
| Memorial type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Headstone, full-size grave (max height 40” including base) | £300 |
| Tablet, full-size grave (up to 18” x 18”) | £100 |
| Full kerb set (max 7’ x 3’) | £250 |
| Flat memorial tablet, Garden of Rest (up to 12” x 12”) | £50 |
| Child’s headstone, 13–17 years (max 2’ x 1’6”) | £70 |
| Child’s memorial, up to 12 years | No charge |
About Lewes and Seaford cemeteries
Lewes District Council manages two cemeteries under its partnership with Eastbourne Borough Council. Lewes Cemetery, in the south east of Lewes, is now closed to new full burials but still accepts ashes interments and burials into existing family plots. Seaford Cemetery, on Cradle Hill Road, remains open, with its newer Eastern Section providing lawned grave spaces for both full burials and ashes. Every full grave at either cemetery can hold up to six sets of ashes even after a full-depth interment, and every cremated-remains grave can hold up to two sets of ashes.
Parishioner rates apply to anyone who paid council tax to Lewes District Council at the time of death, or within 18 months before it. Non-parishioners pay double the resident rate across grave purchase and interment fees.
Eastbourne Borough Council operates separately under the same Lewes and Eastbourne partnership – see the Eastbourne cemetery fees page for fees at Langney and Ocklynge cemeteries.
Contact: Lewes and Eastbourne Councils Bereavement Services – 01323 761093, or via eastbournecrematorium.co.uk