Find cemeteries and crematoriums around the borough
There are several cemeteries and crematoriums around the borough.
Search for cemeteries and crematoriums
Opening times
The cemetery grounds and the memorial gardens are open every day:
- January: 9am - 4.30pm
- February: 9am - 5.30pm
- March and April: 9am - 6.30pm
- May-August: 9am - 7.30pm
- September: 9am - 6.30pm
- October: 9am - 5.30pm
- November and December: 9am - 4.30pm
Cremation services
We offer standard cremation services Monday to Friday between 9.30am-4pm.
Services are usually held every hour. To make sure each service can take place in a dignified and respectful way, we allow:
- 10 minutes for family and friends to enter the chapel during the opening music
- 20 minutes for the service
- 10 minutes to leave the chapel at the end of the service
In addition to standard cremation services, we also offer:
- Direct cremations - a direct cremation may be suitable if you have already held a service elsewhere or do not wish to have a funeral service. We receive the deceased with dignity and carry out the cremation in the care of our trained staff. Family and friends do not attend.
- Witnessed committals - a witnessed committal is for families who would like to accompany the deceased on their final journey but do not want a full funeral service. We can provide up to 15 minutes in the chapel for up to 15 family members or friends. During this time, you can listen to up to 2 pieces of music, spend time in quiet reflection or say a few words in memory of your loved one.
Charges for cremation services
These are the charges for cremation services at Rochdale Crematorium and Middleton Crematorium.
- Standard cremation: £864.60. This price includes the cremation fee, 20-minute service with mourners attending, medical referee, environmental fee, music, ashes container and use of the chapel.
- Witnessed committal: £644.10. This price includes the cremation fee, a short service with a limited number of mourners attending, medical referee, environmental fee, music and ashes container.
- Direct cremation: £520.10. This price includes the cremation fee, medical referee, environmental fee and ashes container.
- Live stream you can watch for up to 28 days: £53.60
- A keepsake of the service on DVD or USB stick: £59.80
- Attended ashes scattering: £32.50
Books of Remembrance
Books of Remembrance are situated at our cremetoriums. They provide a permanent memorial to those cremated in the borough of Rochdale, or those who may have been cremated elsewhere who would wish to be remembered here.
Our books date back to 1943 and are carefully inscribed by professional calligraphers with entries of either 2, 5 or 8 lines. They'll include hand-drawn motifs if requested.
View The Books of Remembrance in person
The Books of Remembrance can be viewed at:
- Middleton (Boarshaw) cemetery and crematorium, Middleton
- Rochdale cemetery and crematorium, Rochdale
The Book of Remembrance room at Middleton (Boarshaw) Cemetery is open during the same hours as the cemetery grounds listed above.
The Book of Remembrance room at Rochdale Cemetery can be found at the West Lodge Memorial Hall and Gardens and is open:
- Monday–Friday, 9am–4pm.
- Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays, 10am–2pm.
View The Books of Remembrance online
You can view digital copies of the current volumes of The Books of Remembrance for Middleton and Rochdale online.
Add an entry to The Books of Remembrance
You can apply to add an entry to the Permanent Book of Remembrance and to the online Book of Remembrance.
Scattering or burying ashes
When you arrange a cremation, you'll be asked if the ashes are to be collected or scattered in the cemetery grounds. Scattering or burying ashes can be carried out in the garden of remembrance at no additional cost however if family would like an appointment to attend when this takes place there is a fee of £32.50. Other storage and memorial options are available such as vaults, niches and ashes graves.
- Scatter or bury ashes in a public place: you must have the landowner's permission to scatter or bury ashes in a public place, such as in a park.
- Scatter or bury ashes on private land: you don't need permission to scatter ashes on your own land - for example, in your garden. If you want to scatter ashes on someone else's land, you should get the landowner's permission.
Metal recycling scheme
Recycling metals from a loved one following their cremation is a sensitive subject and we only do so with the express consent of the next of kin.
Following a cremation, there can sometimes be pieces of metal left over, such as from a tooth filling, a steel hip replacement, pins used to repair a bone fracture or parts of the coffin.
It's possible to recycle these metals through a specialist scheme dealing sensitively with the recycling of metals from crematoria.
We donate all the proceeds from the scheme to local charities that provide services and support for bereaved residents.
Grants for charities offering bereavement services
If you're a local charity that offers bereavement services to borough residents, you can apply to receive a donation from the money we've generated by recycling metals after a cremation.
- Please email environmental.management@rochdale.gov.uk to ask for an application.
Finding a grave in our cemeteries
If you'd like to find the location of a loved one's grave, you can access the burial records.
Burial records give the date and place someone was buried. The records can also sometimes include a grave number and a map showing the location of the grave in the cemetery.