Accessibility statement

Cemetery Research Group

Pateley Cemetery

Plan of Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate, showing denomination sections

Grave plan

Commonwealth graves

The Cemetery Research Group (CRG) at the University of York aims to expand an understanding of current and past burial culture in the UK and internationally, by studying the ways in which social, emotional and religious concerns have interacted with economic and political imperatives to frame burial practice.

About cemeteries

What are cemeteries and how can we understand them?

Annual event

CRG organises the annual Cemeteries Colloquium, bringing together national and international researchers from all disciplines to share their latest research. The next meeting will take place at the University of York on May 19th 2023: 

Death and Culture Network

The Cemetery Research Group is affiliated with the University of York Death and Culture Network. 

Find out more here

 

Our research

CRG has conducted research for local authorities and informed national debate on cemeteries and their use. 

We offer consultancy and specialist research knowledge undertaking audits and surveys, and we have contributed to the wider socio-cultural discussions on cemeteries and burial.

Routledge International Focus on Death and Funeral Practices 

'Clear and concise accounts … creating a repository information on funerary practices and the legal, cultural, historical, and religious contexts in which the funeral practices were developed, changed, and maintained over the last century and a half' (Dennis Klass, Omega)

This series includes texts on Russia and Portugal. 

Emerald Publishing published earlier titles in this series, on England and Wales, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Serbia

Latest work

  • Julie Rugg, '"Further remarks on modern sepulture": 20 years of cemetery study and eight core questions defining cemetery research', Eastern and Northern European Journal of Death Studies (2022).
  • Julie Rugg, 'Social justice and cemetery systems', Death Studies (2020)  
  • Julie Rugg, 'Burial reform in England: a reappraisal', Histoire, Médicine, Santé (2019).
  • Julie Rugg, 'Consolation, individuation and consumption: towards a theory of cyclicality in English funerary practice', Cultural and Social History (2018).

About CRG

CRG was founded in 1990 and is led by Dr Julie Rugg, University of York.

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