by Claire Sentry
Two major issues have transformed demand for stone memorialisation in the UK
over the last century. In 1900 stone memorials were still the preserve of the middle and
upper classes. Today, the majority of customers are from lower income families, mainly
because they tend to be less mobile and are therefore able to visit and tend the graves of
their loved ones. The impact of this shift has driven down the price of memorials to a
worrying level and has resulted in cheaper imports - especially black granite from India -
taking over from indigenous stones.
The second major shift has been the dramatic increase in cremations. This, it could be
argued, has followed a similar pattern to the decline of religion in Britain (less than 2%
of the country's 59.2million inhabitants regularly attends a religious service). Until
1932, less than 1% of all deaths resulted in cremation. By 1968 the figure was 50% and it
continued to grow until 1992 when it reached a plateau. Last year 71% of the 630,000
deaths in England, Wales and Scotland resulted in cremation.
Until very recently, cremated remains were either scattered on the ground or
buried without a marker. Inevitably, this was adversely affecting the stone memorial
industry and many masonry firms closed. But the National Association of Memorial Masons
(NAMM), which represents the industry and has 400 members, has worked hard in the last few
years to encourage burial authorities to accept memorials over cremated remains in
specified sections of their cemeteries or crematoria grounds. Where the cemeteries have
been persuaded to do this, the uptake has been enormous. An estimated 15% of all
cremations now result in a stone memorial and the figure is expected to continue to grow.
Masons are, inevitably, grateful to witness this trend but it is not highly
profitable business. The most popular memorials for cremated remains are simple 6cm thick
25-40cm square slabs, inscribed with the name of the deceased and dates of birth and
death, or small stone urns, often with no inscription. Typically, such a memorial will
cost less than £100. The total market for this type of memorial is estimated to be worth
£7million.
Last year there were 180,000 full burials in England, Wales and Scotland and about 80%
of these resulted in a stone memorial. Most were the traditional upright style of 20cm
thick stone with a standard ogee top. The market is split between funeral directors who
organise the funeral and buy the memorial, complete with inscription, from a wholesaler.
About 40% of memorials are sold through this route, chosen through a catalogue. A high
number are black Indian granite and cost from just £300.
NAMM and an affiliated organisation called the Memorial Awareness Board have,
with some success, campaigned to increase awareness among the public that there is a far
greater choice available through masons who will create a more personal memorial. Because
death is spoken about so little in Britain, getting the message across is difficult but
the campaign has achieved considerable press coverage and is paying dividends.
About 60% of memorials are now sold through memorial masons with an average price of
£580. Many of the masons' sales will still be at the cheaper (£300-£400) end of the
market. Fortunately there are more profitable sales; a 72cm-1m high British limestone,
sandstone or granite memorial costs £650-£900 while a slate memorial (usually about 30cm
taller) costs about £1,300. Costs vary depending on the inscription and amount of carving
required and these, in turn, may depend on where the memorial is to be erected.
Burial authorities often impose severe restrictions on the type of stone,
shape, size and wording of the inscription. Churchyards - traditionally the preserve of
limestone and sandstone tombstones - still discourage granite, especially polished
granite, and rarely agree to the use of marble. Many churches also refuse inscriptions
that carry names such as 'Mum' or 'Dad', insisting on 'Mother' or 'Father'. The inclusion
of a portrait of the deceased (a relatively new phenomenon in the UK) is often refused.
Municipal cemeteries (managed by local government offices) set their own rules. They
usually allow more freedom of choice so in these cemeteries can be seen granite crosses,
marble angels, granite kerbs with marble chipping, marble books and urns on pedestals.
However, many of these cemeteries have been sold in recent years to private operators who
aim to achieve a more uniform appearance in the future in order to facilitate maintenance.
Some have height restrictions of between 70cm and 1.3m.
In the last five years some wholesalers have made few tentative efforts to offer
different kinds of memorials. They aim to extend the market by appealing to the more
mobile middle classes and show them that a memorial does not necessarily have to be a
stone slab in a church graveyard or cemetery. It could be a granite seat in the grounds of
hospital, a plaque on a golf course, or a sculpture in the family garden (and, therefore,
portable). Benches, bird baths and other ornaments are offered but the conservative
British are proving reluctant buyers.
Such initiatives are necessary if the stone memorial industry is to expand. The
£80million market is currently buoyant, largely as a result of a strong economy
encouraging people to trade up when buying memorials, and the growth of cremation is
thought to have peaked, but the market is under threat. People are living longer and the
death rate is projected to fall by 4% over the next fifteen years. Only in 2030 will it
return to its current level.
The second threat is a trend towards "Woodland Burials" which involve a tree
or shrub being planted, rather than a stone memorial, in special sections of cemeteries or
forests. The first such burial site opened in 1993; by May this year there were 100 and
another 52 are expected to open by the end of 2000. This type of burial is forecast to
make up 10% of the market in just 10 years.
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Last Updated: July 2008
