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Work under way for new Oxford burial ground

Lilah ParsonsSouth of England
News imageBBC NEWS A large yellow digger is working on a construction site. A man wearing high-vis sits in the cabin. The backdrop is a blue sky, with trees in the distance. BBC NEWS
Construction has begun for the new Oxford Burial Meadow

Construction has begun on a new cemetery for people who have died in Oxford.

The Oxford Burial Meadow will be on the outskirts of Horspath, just outside the city's ring road, and is expected to cost £2.4m.

The site covers 17 acres and is expected to accommodate 45 years of burials.

Anna Railton, deputy leader of Oxford City Council, said it would help address the city's shortage of burial space. "We've got to the point where we are sort of taking out benches and footpaths to make more space to bury people," she said.

"We've been trying to get it off the ground for a number of years and it's really good to finally be here when it's being constructed."

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Anna Railton said the project will 'improve biodiversity' in the area

Oxford City Council currently has four cemeteries in Oxford.

Sites at Rose Hill and Headington have been full for more than 20 years, and there is only limited space at the cemeteries in Botley and Wolvercote.

The council's cabinet approved the proposals and allocated £2.4m to deliver the scheme at a meeting on 13 September 2023.

Railton said the new burial meadow would be "tranquil" and "natural", with footpaths linking the site to Shotover Woods and the surrounding countryside.

"It's not just going to be a place to bury people; it'll be a place that people can actually come to and walk through as well," she said.

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Contract Manager Malcolm Buckinham hopes 'the weather will be on our side'

Following planning approval in April, Blakedown Landscapes was appointed as the principal contractor to deliver the new burial ground.

"It'll be a lovely landscaped area and it'll blend in well with the natural surroundings," said Malcolm Buckingham, the contract manager for the firm.

Construction began on 7 September 2026 and, according to Buckingham, there are plans for 150 new trees, alongside new shrubs and whip planting.

Construction is expected to take 26 weeks, with the new burial ground set to open in 2027.

"The plan is for it to be up and running in spring next year. I think that is pending the weather a little bit," Railton said.

"If we have a very wet winter, it might be delayed a little bit."