Buckingham Town Council continues to carry out memorial safety inspections at Brackley Road Cemetery as part of its responsibility to maintain a safe environment for visitors, contractors, and staff.
Brackley Road Cemetery contains more than 3,000 memorials and headstones. Over time, some memorials can become unstable due to weathering, ground movement, or lack of maintenance, potentially presenting a safety risk.
To manage this, the Town Council operates a structured five-year rolling inspection programme. The programme ensures all 10 sections of the cemetery are inspected over a five-year period, with two sections reviewed each year. In addition, all Category Two memorials are inspected annually, and memorials over 1.5 metres in height are professionally inspected every five years by a qualified contractor.
The latest inspections took place in May 2026 within some of the oldest sections of the cemetery. Following these inspections:
- 10 memorials were identified as unsafe and requiring repair
- 27 memorials were identified for annual monitoring
Current Category One Memorials at Brackley Road Cemetery
| Section | Name | Year of Death |
| B | Green | 1997 |
| B | Somerset | 1905 |
| B | Janaway | 1905 |
| D | White | 1912 |
| D | Tombs | 1898 |
| D | Priest | 1883 |
| EXT1 | Orwin | 2005 |
| EXT1 | Emary | 2002 |
| EXT1 | Fenables | 1995 |
| F3 | Carter | 1884 |
Where possible, the Town Council will contact deed holders directly regarding affected memorials. Prior to inspections taking place, information is also shared through public notices, social media, the Town Council newsletter, and local press releases. If you have an interest in any of the listed Category One memorials, please contact the Town Council office to discuss the necessary repairs and available options.
The Greenspaces Team will continue to monitor all identified memorials and ensure any temporary safety measures and signage remain in place until permanent repairs can be undertaken.
The Town Council would be happy to answer any questions about the memorial testing at the cemetery. Please contact: Cemetery Manager – 01280 816801 – Greenspaces@buckingham-tc.gov.uk
