Our Parish Church has a large church yard which is an important place of remembrance for the whole community,  it is  a place of beauty and peace. The Churchyard is a open to all visitors in daylight hours, but it is particularly special to those who have friends or family members buried here. We want to encourage you to enjoy visiting the church and churchyard, and to make it a special place of memories.

Our churchyard is still open for burials and according to common law all parishioners and residents of the parish of St Matthew & St Wilfrid Sunderland have a right to be buried within the churchyard. We also have a garden of remembrance to the west of the church for the internment of ashes of parishioners and residents of the  parish of St Matthew & St Wilfrid Sunderland.

Following a bereavement and burial, many people wish to place some form of marker on a grave. The options available are very different in churchyards from those in public cemeteries ,if you would like further information please contact us using the form below or download a copy of the churchyard regulations. No further adornments or additions to places of burial are permitted outside of these regulations.

The churchyard receives no funding from the local authority and so relies entirely upon support from parishioners, and residents. We would like to thank our partners at  Community Payback who alongside local support help ensure the churchyard is well kept.

If you have any concerns about the church yard please contact me  so that we can continue to ensure our churchyard is made a special place for the whole community.

Click here to download Churchyard Regulations

The Reverend David Tolhurst (Vicar)