Memorial Benches

Memorialisation is an important and deeply personal way to remember a very special person, connecting generations long into the future. A memorial gives you a permanent place of reflection and comfort, where family and friends can remember a loved one for years to come.

We are able to consider memorial benches in all areas of The Chester House Estate, some with markers and plaques, depending on location.

We do have restrictions on localities, the type of memorial and the laying of tokens and flowers once the memorial is in place due to the varied nature and use of the site we manage.

Unfortunately we do not allow members of the public to buy and place their own benches, you must contact The Chester House Estate

We hope that you will be able to find a memorial that you feel is appropriate and which you feel comfortable with. The Chester House team is on hand to help.

We then have to options – 

Option one: £1000 for an exiting bench to have plaque attached to the bench for 10 years, you do not own the bench. You must follow all guide lines with regard to flowers and upkeep.

Option Two: Purchase a new bench and have this placed in the landscape in a suitable location with a plaque attached for ten years £2000. You do not own the bench. You must follow all guide lines with regard to flowers and upkeep.

Please email info@chesterhouseestate.org if you are interested in leasing a memorial bench from us.

Please note the following must be adhered to: 

  1. Only areas with the capacity for additional benches will be considered.
  2. Capacity decisions will be at the discretion of the Chester House Estate.
  3. Only suitable locations where people are likely to make good use of the proposed bench will be considered. These will be areas which lack any seating nearby, or are at a likely stopping point, such as a particular view or rest point on a path. In addition, the location will be chosen to minimise future maintenance and vandalism. Remote locations with poor access for maintenance and limited potential users will not be considered.
  4. The purpose of memorial benches will generally be to commemorate the lives of people or pets. Tributes to clubs, groups, associations, events etc. will be considered on a case by case basis and will be approved at the discretion of the Chester House Estate.
  5. Lease of a memorial bench will be for 10 years, after which time it will be removed. The cost will include the bench, plaque, inscription, installation and surfacing. As the benches should require minimal maintenance, there will be no additional cost for this. Any replacement will be treated in the same way as a new memorial bench.
  6. To ensure installation is undertaken safely and to the required standards, Chester House Estate will provide and install the memorial bench with plaque and surfacing in all cases.
  7. Chester House Estate’s standards of maintenance will be accepted as keeping the benchfit for purpose. This will involve removing graffiti and repairing minor faults. Maintenance will not include regular painting, as in the long term this proves more costly than replacing the bench when it has reached the end of its natural life. The benches have been chosen for durability without the need for regular painting or treatment.
  8. The lessee must not carry out any maintenance to a bench during the period of lease, this includes any painting or varnishing. One tribute may be attached to, laid on or put beside benches.
  9. Chester House Estate reserves the right to remove any bench which has been installed prior to this policy being adopted which has fallen into disrepair through age or vandalism. Subject to suitability of location, these benches may be replaced with plain benches without a plaque.
  10. A standard written letter of agreement will be sent by Chester House Estate to the customer to ensure all terms and conditions are clearly understood prior to commencement of the lease. The form will be returned to Chester House Estate with payment in advance of the memorial bench being installed.