Information About Kerb Sets and Headstones for Manchester Cemeteries.

 Kerb sets are a cosmetic and practical addition to headstones in cemeteries. They provide a clear marker for the grave that prevents people walking across where your loved one is buried. Kerb sets can come as part of the memorial or separately, although we recommend that you always use the same material as the headstone.

 Once a kerb set is in place, there are a range of options of what can then be done with it. Covering it with a flat slab is one of them. This is easy for maintenance and gives extra lettering capacity, but if your memorial is a place where your loved one’s life is to be celebrated, it has limitations. A much more popular option is to have a thin concrete base and then fill the kerb set with chippings which come in various colours, some of them bright. Other ornamentation and personal items can then be placed on the chippings which help keep them in place.

 If you like to have flowers at the grave year round, then filling a kerb set with soil is an option, thus allowing you to plant whatever is most appropriate for the season. Even though they are less than a foot in height , kerb sets still do give some added protection against the elements and your flowers will last longer. They also help keep the area around the grave clean and tidy, as there is much less chance of weeds growing there. In recent years, artificial grass has also been a common sight in kerb sets as it requires little or no maintenance and also provides a suitable base for other grave items. Some kerb set designs allow for more flowers to be placed in the corners, as they incorporate vases.

 Do not be alarmed at the site of some of the older graves you may see in cemeteries that have kerb sets which have now sunk. This is due to ground movement but this can be overcome nowadays by fitting the kerb set onto a one piece foundation which we can supply at little or no extra cost. This is a solid concrete base which meets NAMM standards. If there is any subsequent ground movement, it is always far easier to re-align the kerb set right again if there is a one piece foundation present. An added advantage of one piece foundations is that they lift the kerb set a couple of inches off the ground meaning there is less likelihood of damage from cemetery groundstaff when they are cutting the grass around it.

 Our skilled masons can fit kerb sets to suit your requirements and you can be assured that they will be to NAMM specifications. Our kerb sets suit all budgets and when buying a memorial that incorporates one into it, the price is not necessarily a great deal more than a regular headstone.  One thing that must be taken into account when it comes to kerb sets though is that not all cemeteries allow them. In Greater Manchester the local authorities where kerb sets are permitted are;

Manchester City Council (max length 3ft)

Bury (typically 2-3ft allowed – though longer may be considered on an individual basis) Rochdale (max length 18″)

Salford (max length 2ft)

Tameside (max length 2ft)

Oldham (max length 18″)

There are also administrative fees which range from £50.00 to £125.00
Fees apply in Salford, Tameside & Bury, no charge in other authorities.

Please Note
Kerbs are not permitted in St Joseph’s (Moston) & St Mary’s (Wardley) RC cemeteries

Here at Alberti Lupton & Co Ltd we have all the necessary skills and equipment to make you a beautiful and unique memorial to remember your loved one. We are always happy to help. Please get in touch or call in to see us and we will be happy to discuss your requirements and offer a free no obligation quote.