Two black memorial headstones in a cemetery.

Honouring Legacies With Dedicated Memorial Services

We, at W.P. Everingham & Sons, understand that creating a lasting tribute involves a range of considerations. Our dedicated services are designed to guide you through every step, ensuring a meaningful and enduring memorial for your loved one. From crafting new pieces to preserving existing ones, we approach each task with the utmost care and respect.

Ways We Can Assist You

Creating New Memorials

Meticulously hand-crafting personalised memorials that uniquely reflect the life and spirit of your loved one.

Adding Further Inscriptions

Expertly adding inscriptions to existing memorials, ensuring your heartfelt messages are beautifully and accurately conveyed to match the existing memorials.

Preserving Enduring Beauty

Providing professional cleaning and refurbishment services to restore and maintain the timeless elegance of memorials.

Ensuring Lasting Safety

Conducting thorough safety repairs for memorials and assessments to guarantee the enduring stability and security of memorials.

Marking Your Home With Distinction

Designing and creating personalised house name plaques with the same care and craftsmanship as our memorials.

Remembering Beloved Companions

Crafting special pet memorials that offer a comforting and lasting tribute to your loyal friends.

Thoughtful Planning for a Lasting Tribute

A memorial serves as a lasting tribute to a loved one’s life and legacy. It is often seen as a final gift to someone deeply cherished. Making this decision during a period of grief can be challenging, and rushed choices may lead to future regrets. Taking the time to carefully consider all aspects is important. At W.P. Everingham & Sons, we offer support throughout the entire process, giving you space and guidance to select a design that feels right.

Understanding Cemetery and Churchyard Regulations

Different burial grounds have varying rules about memorials. Most cemeteries allow a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colours, though there may be restrictions on wording and height. Churchyards tend to be more limited in what they allow, especially regarding materials and design, and these rules can differ depending on location.

  • Our NAMM-approved memorial masons explain cemetery and churchyard regulations.
  • We are here to support and guide families, helping them understand the rules and still reflect their wishes.
  • We ensure your memorial meets all local rules and requirements.
  • We help you choose a design that fits both the setting and your preferences.
Sunny cemetery with flowers and headstones.
Memorial stone in a peaceful garden setting.

Applying for Memorial Installation Permission

Before a memorial can be installed, approval must be obtained from the Burial Authority. This involves submitting an application with detailed information about the proposed work. Each burial ground charges a fee for this application, which varies by location.

  • Applications are usually submitted on behalf of the deed holder of the burial plot.
  • If the deed holder has passed, the deed may need to be transferred to a surviving relative, with guidance from your local council.
  • We manage the entire application process on your behalf and liaise with the burial authority.

Selecting the Shape of the Memorial

Variety of Shapes and Styles

Memorials are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from classic upright headstones to more contemporary plaques. This allows families to choose a design that reflects the personality and legacy of their loved one.

Visit Our Showroom or Request a Brochure

We invite families to explore our current memorial displays in person at our showroom. Alternatively, brochure packs are available on request via phone or email, offering a convenient way to browse options at home.

Personalised Design Consultations

Many families find reassurance in speaking with us directly about their ideas. You can choose a memorial design from our brochures or combine elements to create a unique piece. Custom memorials may take up to 14 weeks for manufacture and delivery, depending on the complexity and material.

Exploring Stone and Material Options

The choice of material has expanded significantly in recent years thanks to global quarry development. A wide range of granite and natural stone options are now available, offering various colours, patterns, and textures. We provide a diverse selection to help you find a material that feels right for your memorial.

Crafting a Meaningful Inscription

Writing the inscription is often the most emotional part of designing a memorial. It’s not only a formal statement but also a personal farewell and remembrance. Inscriptions are typically made up of three parts:

Opening Line

This is the introductory phrase, often seen as “In Loving Memory” or “Treasured Memories.” Many options are available, though this line, along with any nicknames or occupation details, is optional.

Personal Information

This section includes the deceased's name, birth and death dates, and possibly their age. Families often include roles such as "Loving Husband" or "Devoted Mother" as well as any nicknames.

Closing Verse or Message

A final message may include a poem, a line from a song, a prayer, or any verse that reflects your love and memories. This is an opportunity to say something deeply personal.

Examples and Ideas for Inscriptions

To help guide your wording, we have assembled a collection of inscription examples that have brought comfort to others. These phrases can inspire your own personal message or serve as a starting point for your ideas.

Choosing the Lettering Style

There are two main methods used to apply lettering to a memorial:

Hand-Carved Lettering

This traditional method is performed by skilled craftsmen. Neal Everingham, a fifth-generation memorial mason, provides finely detailed hand-cut lettering on granite and natural stone, creating a truly personal and timeless effect.

Sandblasted Lettering

This modern method allows for the use of many fonts, similar to those available in word processing software. Sandblasting provides a clean, precise look, and our designers can present you with a variety of font styles to suit your preferences.

Deciding on the Letter Finish

Once the lettering style is chosen, you can decide on the finish, each offering a different visual effect:

Gold Leaf

Hand-applied 23.5-carat gold leaf adds a striking, radiant touch.

Leaded Letters

Crafted by beating lead into the carved letters. In marble, the finish is flush; in granite, the letters are embossed and raised from the surface.

Painted Letters

Available in a range of colours such as silver, white, grey, and black. The paint is applied in several coats, with drying time between each layer for a lasting result.

Finishing Touches

Adding Artwork or Ornamentation

Some families choose to include a small image or symbol on the memorial to reflect the personality or hobbies of the deceased. We will be happy to discuss your ideas and help bring them to life in the form of lasting artwork.

Memorial Design Services

We maintain an extensive catalogue of traditional and custom designs. Our expert craftsmen can engrave almost any image onto a memorial, and also create personalized etchings from photographs or drawings that celebrate your loved one’s life.

Final Steps and Installation Process

After you select the memorial, design, and inscription, we handle the application for installation approval. Once permission is granted, our qualified craftsmen install the memorial with the highest level of care and respect.

Engraved headstone with floral decorations and text.

Let's Create a Lasting Tribute Together

Our installation team holds nationally recognized qualifications and is part of the Register of Qualified Memorial Fixers (RQMF). Because of our commitment to quality, we confidently offer a 10-year guarantee on all memorials we install—including new monuments and existing headstones that receive additional inscriptions. Get in touch now.

Discuss Your Memorial Needs