Penn Road Cemetery
Address
Water concerns
We are aware that local residents have raised concerns regarding the presence of water at Penn Road Cemetery. A statement from Buckinghamshire Council, along with the relevant geological reports, is available via the links below.
- Statement regarding flooding at Penn Road Cemetery (DOCX, 19 KB)
- Penn Road Cemetery Ground Water Report, (PDF, 506 KB)
About the cemetery
Penn Road cemetery operates alongside High Wycombe cemetery as part of a combined provision for residents from the unparished area of High Wycombe. Residents from other areas can also be buried at the cemetery for an additional fee.
Before visiting this cemetery, check our cemetery regulations.
Opening hours
Check the cemetery notice board for accurate closing times.
| Day | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 8 am to 9pm or sunset |
| Sundays and Bank Holidays | 10am to 9pm or sunset |
Opening hours change in Winter (between 31 October and 1 February) when gates are open 8am to 4pm.
The gates are locked overnight and will not be reopened until the following day.
Office opening hours
Office opening times vary.
Before visiting, call the cemetery officer on 01494 421 819.
Parking
Visitors should park in the bays provided at the entrance and walk into the cemetery.
Contact our office to arrange access with a vehicle.
Electric vehicle charging points
There are 4 charging points in the cemetery on-site parking and can be accessed during cemetery opening times. These units are operated by BP Pulse (or this service is provided by BP Pulse).
Toilets
Toilets are situated in the office building and will only be available when the office is open.
Columbaria
The columbaria provides an above ground chamber that has been designed for the placement of cremated remains. They are situated in a tranquil area with water features surrounded by beautiful plants and greenery.
The chamber is sealed by a granite tablet that can be inscribed with your choice of decoration and inscription. The lease is for a period of 5, 10 or 20 years. Speak to a member of staff for more information and assistance with an application.
Graves
Purchase right of burial
Before you purchase burial rights, make sure you read our cemetery regulations.
The purchasing of burial rights is usually carried out by an appointed funeral director on behalf of the deceased's family. If you are not using a funeral director, call the cemetery officer.
Weekday short notice burials
Weekday burials will be accommodated at short notice where possible through the management of stock graves, there will be no additional fee for weekday short notice burials where they can be reasonably accommodated.
The provision of concrete or polypropylene "chamber" graves may require 24 hours' notice.
Sunday and Bank Holiday Burials
Extended hours will enable us to meet the specific short notice burial requirements of the Islamic community in addition to offering an extended service to all faith and non-faith groups.
Memorials
The owner of the burial rights may purchase a memorial and any memorial must be approved by us before installation. Local masons can advise on the regulations governing memorials.
See our webpage for information on cemetery fees.
Written permission may be obtained for the temporary erection of a wooden cross, provided an application is made at the same time for a natural stone memorial. A memorial mason acting on the instruction of the named person normally makes the application.
Cremated remains graves
Cremated remains graves for the interment of ashes.
Children and infant graves
There is a multi-faith section for the interment of babies, stillborn babies and young children. The cremated remains of children up to the age of 14 and infants up to the age of 3 can be buried in this section.
This area provides a quiet spot for families wanting to remember their babies.
For more information see our cemetery regulations.
Fees
For information on the cost of burials and memorials, see our fees page.
We're continuing to invest in our cemetery infrastructure. This is to ensure burial chambers remain fit for purpose and provide a dignified and safe environment for families and visitors.
This includes:
- installing more burial chambers
- introducing trial drainage systems
- continuing to monitor existing chambers
Installing more burial chambers
We're installing new burial chambers to increase burial capacity.
We've carefully planned the works to minimise disruption to visitors and funeral services.
Contractors will be working within designated areas, and all activities will be undertaken in accordance with relevant health and safety requirements.
You may notice construction activity during this period. We will maintain access to graves and memorial areas wherever possible.
Trial drainage systems
We're installing trial drainage systems in the new chambers.
This is to:
- test how well the drainage system works
- improve how we manage rainfall in burial areas
- support the long-term performance of burial chambers
- help us make future decisions about cemetery maintenance and improvements
We'll monitor the trial systems to assess their performance under varying weather conditions and to help identify the most effective long-term approach for the site.
Monitoring existing burial chambers
We regularly inspect existing burial chambers as part of our maintenance programme.
We do this to:
- assess how the chambers are performing
- monitor their condition
- identify any signs of surface water entering the chambers
- make sure they remain suitable for future use
We use the information from these inspections to help plan future maintenance and improvements across the cemetery.
The findings have already helped us develop the trial drainage programme and plan future burial provision.
How we'll keep you updated
Thank you for your patience while we carry out these works.
We’ll continue to publish updates on this page as the project progresses.
If you have any questions about the works, email [email protected].