Bluebell Cemetery in Halstead has won Gold in the small and medium category of the national Cemetery of the Year Awards, presented at the end of September.

Bluebell Cemetery & Crematorium at Halstead has won a Gold Award in the national Cemetery of the Year Awards, taking first place in the Small/Medium Cemetery category for 2026/27.

The cemetery, at Watercrofts Wood on Old London Road, collected the award at the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) Learning Convention and Exhibition at the end of September, it said in a press release sent to us on 15 October.

Aerial view of Bluebell Cemetery: rows of grave plots divided by hedged paths, with the white single-storey crematorium building and woodland behind
The cemetery grounds and crematorium building from the air. Photo: Bluebell Cemetery

Who runs the awards

The Cemetery of the Year Awards were promoted and organised for nearly 20 years by the Memorial Awareness Board (MAB). The British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM) has now taken them over, according to the cemetery.

The competition is endorsed by four industry bodies:

  • the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM)
  • the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA)
  • the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC)
  • the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM)
The Cemetery of the Year Awards logo: a green diamond containing three blocks lettered C, Y and A
The Cemetery of the Year Awards logo. Image: supplied by Bluebell Cemetery

What the judges looked at

Judging ran over what the release calls an “extensive” period and focuses on industry standards, good practice and freedom of choice for the bereaved.

Janet Walker of BRAMM said:

“The awards are an excellent opportunity to reward hard-working staff and demonstrate the central role cemeteries and church yards can play in the community. They provide places of peaceful contemplation and beauty, as well as being of historical, social and ecological importance.”

The release adds of the Halstead site: “The team at Bluebell Cemetery performed exceptionally throughout the extensive judging period which is focused on industry standards, good practice and freedom of choice for the bereaved.”

A gravel path winding through oak woodland in the cemetery's woodland burial area
A path through the woodland burial ground at Bluebell Cemetery. Photo: Bluebell Cemetery

“A wonderful pat on the back”

Neil Lincoln, the cemetery manager, said:

“This award is such a wonderful pat on the back for our team, it acknowledges that we really go above and beyond to try and provide a reliable, friendly and quality service. My team and I are thrilled.”

About Bluebell Cemetery

According to its website, Bluebell Cemetery & Crematorium opened in June 2019 on a 28-acre site in green belt land close to Junction 4 of the M25, less than a mile from Knockholt station. Its grounds take both formal and woodland burials.

The ceremony room at Bluebell Crematorium: rows of upholstered chairs either side of a central aisle facing a lectern, flowers and two wall screens
The ceremony room at Bluebell Crematorium. Photo: Bluebell Cemetery
Aerial view of a circular memorial feature where paths meet between lawn burial sections at Bluebell Cemetery
A memorial feature where the cemetery's paths meet, seen from the air. Photo: Bluebell Cemetery

What it means for you

For families in the Sevenoaks district choosing where to hold a funeral or burial, the award is an outside judgement of the Halstead site against national standards, including how much choice it gives the bereaved. The cemetery is on 01959 533769 or info@bluebellcemetery.com, and its address is Watercrofts Wood, Old London Road, Halstead, TN14 7AE.

More from the village: Knockholt station traveller pitches: Halstead objects and other local achievements in Sevenoaks community news.