Guides

The Stevenson family have been providing high quality Memorials (also referred to as Headstones, Gravestones, Tombstones and Grave Markers) since 1883 and we are justifiably proud of our history of craftsmanship and expertise.

Our website is best used as a guide to the different type of memorial stones available. We are able to both adapt and create bespoke memorials from scratch to suit our customers personalised requirements.

Please view the memorial section of our website to see some of our different options.

Please click HERE for our selection of Cremation Memorials including Headstones, Gravestones, Vases, Benches & Plaques.

The majority of our memorials are Granite with a few exceptions including Yorkstone and Sandstone.

We don’t supply Marble headstones due to granite being a much stronger and weather resistant stone.

Individual Memorial Benches are a memorial option available for all Blackburn & Darwen Cemeteries including Pleasington Crematorium.

The benches can also be placed in other locations but please contact our office for further information.

Below you will find a list of Questions & Answers regarding the Memorial Benches but please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01254 202019 if you have any further questions.

Q, How much does the bench cost?

The total cost of the Granite Benches are £995 inclusive of ALL Lettering, Fixing, Cemetery Fee, V.A.T & 5 year memorial insurance

Q, What happens when the 5 year insurance expires?

Once the 5 year inclusive insurance expires on the Memorial Bench the insurance company, StoneGuard will write to you with the option to renew for a further 5 years. This will be optional but is highly recommended due to the bench being used by other members of the public. If the bench becomes unsafe beyond repair it will have to be removed from the cemetery.

Q, Who owns the bench?

The benches are always owned by the customer but the cemetery space is leased.

Q, How long is the lease?

The benches can be leased for an initial period of 20 years; after this time the lease can be extended in 10 year intervals by a payment of an additional cemetery fee to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council cemetery office.

Q, Do I have a choice of colour for the bench?

Yes, please contact our office on 01254 202019 for further information.

Q, Can I choose my preferred location for the bench?

Yes, you have choice of location, but this must be agreed in advance with the cemetery office. Please call Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council cemetery office for further details on 01254 202021.

Q, Can I commemorate more than one person on the bench, either now or in the future?

Yes, the benches can accommodate more names and inscriptions in the future. Further advice and a no obligation scale drawing can be produced allowing you to visualise how the final Memorial Bench will look. This drawing can then be shared with family and friends.

Q, How many lines of text will fit onto the bench?

Due to the large area of lettering space available it is recommended you contact our office with your desired inscription and our professional design team will be able to advise you further.

Q, Can I have additional designs, such as a church window, a rose, a hobby/occupation depicted or a photo plaque placed on the bench?

Yes, these will incur an extra charge. Please contact us for further information on 01254 202019.

Memorial Bench Plaques are a memorial option available for Pleasington and Darwen Cemeteries.

Below you will find a list of Questions & Answers regarding the Memorial Bench Plaques but please don’t hesitate to contact our office on 01254 202019 if you have any further questions.

Q, How much does the plaque cost?

The total cost for a Bench Plaque is £245 inclusive of ALL Lettering, Fixing & V.A.T.

Q, Who owns the plaque?

The plaques are always owned by the customer but the bench space is leased.

Q, How long is the lease for the plaque?

The plaques can be leased for an initial period of 20 years; after this time the lease can be extended in 10 year intervals by a payment of an additional cemetery fee to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council cemetery office. At today’s price £110 = £11 per year.

Q, Do I have a choice of colour for the plaque?

No, to maintain uniformity of the Granite Bench all plaques will be made in everlasting Sea Grey granite with Silver Grey painted letters.

Q, Can I commemorate more than one person on the plaque, either now or in the future?

Yes, the plaques can accommodate more names and inscriptions in the future. Further advice and a no obligation scale drawing can be produced allowing you to visualise how the final Bench Plaque will look, which can then be shared between family and friends.

Q, How many lines of text will fit onto my plaque?

We would recommend approximately 8 lines of text for a Bench Plaque as a guide. However please contact our office with your desired inscription and our professional design team will be able to advise you further.

Q, Can I have additional designs, such as a church window, a rose, a hobby/occupation depicted on the plaque?

Yes, small designs can be included, these will incur an extra charge. Please contact our office for further information on 01254 202019.

Q, Can I reserve a specific location for my plaque?

No, customers will be assigned the next available space on the Granite Bench.

Stevenson Memorials provide our customers with ‘No Obligation – Free Drawings’.

These drawings help to provide a visual representation of your final memorial with the inscription, allowing you to take home and share with family and friends. These drawings can be either printed for you in our Blackburn or Blackpool showroom, posted out to your home address or e-mailed.

Photo Etching by Stevenson Memorials allows high detailed images and photographs to be cut directly into the memorial using a Diamond tipped needle. This methods provides a more detailed and a deeper finish on granite than the laser equivalent used by some memorial masons.

Photo Plaques are available in a variety of sizes.

Photo Plaques allow you to personalise a headstone with photographs of your loved ones to create a perfect memorial. All photographs should be as high a quality as possible with the main subject being the main focus and sharp. Our experts are then able to remove any unwanted background and any red eye that may appear.

Sizes & Prices

Please note the prices shown here are for a single person on a oval shaped ceramic photo plaque. Other sizes and shapes are available on request.

Please contact us now for further professional advice.

The granite colours shown below provide a representation of our most popular granites; however due to granite being a natural stone variations will occur which is why we always strongly recommend visiting our showroom to see the granites in person. Other colour granites that have not yet been listed below are available, so please call our friendly office team for further information or alternatively please feel free to visit either our Blackburn or Blackpool showroom.

Memorial Refacing is a new option that we started providing to our customers in 2015 – this option has proven popular with the increase in cremations as apposed to burials. Most headstones were completed with the final burial but since cremated remains can now be interred or scattered on a grave an increasing number of families are wanting to add extra names to the original headstone without the need to replace the original headstone with a brand new replacement.

This option also allows for the original inscriptions to be re-written in a new style which is deemed more suitable to the current times – fonts can also be changed.

If you are interested in this option then please contact our office on 01254 202019.

Memorial Refacing is a new option that we started providing to our customers in 2015 – this option has proven popular with the increase in cremations as apposed to burials. Most headstones were completed with the final burial but since cremated remains can now be interred or scattered on a grave an increasing number of families are wanting to add extra names to the original headstone without the need to replace the original headstone with a brand new replacement.

This option also allows for the original inscriptions to be re-written in a new style which is deemed more suitable to the current times – fonts can also be changed.

If you are interested in this option then please contact our office on 01254 202019.

An anchor is an anchor is an anchor – right? Wrong. Whilst there are many memorial anchoring systems on the market, we think that our systems are a little bit different and offer the mason a little bit more in terms of ease of use and flexibility.

Our standard Peg and Tube system differs from other “NAMM bar” type systems by virtue of it being a two-part system. The first part is an anchoring tube which is driven down through the foundation. A separate peg is inserted into the tube and the memorial dropped over the peg. The advantage of this over other “NAMM bar” type systems?

Well, to start off with, if the memorial has to be subsequently removed for further work there is nothing left sticking out of the ground to create a trip hazard. Simply remove the peg from the tube and take it away with you. Safe, one-man fixing of the memorial is possible without the need for any additional non-standard equipment. Fix the base onto the foundation flag in the normal manner and drop the peg into the anchoring tube through the “NAMM hole” in the memorial base – no awkward lifts and no trapped fingers. A variety of peg sizes and diameters are available to fit the different common “NAMM hole” sizes – with it becoming increasingly common for memorials to come in from the Far East pre-drilled and no common hole standard, buying memorials from different wholesalers can result in the need to use different fixing systems to ensure conformity to the NAMM code.

And that’s just for starters.

In our own memorial business we prefer to use the ‘LockDown’ system whenever we can. The ‘LockDown’ system uses the anchoring tube from our Peg and Tube system to the stabilise the foundation flag. A stainless steel sleeve that fits into a flower container hole in the memorial base is then bolted down to the foundation flag to secure the memorial to the foundation. Alternatively when fixing on a concrete strip foundation the sleeve is bolted direct to the foundation using an expansion bolt; there is no need for a stabilising tube.

Using the ‘LockDown’ system enables us to fix memorials in all weather conditions safe in the knowledge that our memorials are securely fixed and able to fully withstand the burial authority’s pull test requirements immediately we leave them. We also have added advantage that when the headstone needs to be removed for additional inscriptions, etc. it can be quickly unbolted, removed and replaced using the same components and without any fear of damage to the stone. Using a ‘LockDown’ may cost slightly more to start with but as far as we are concerned over time it more than pays for itself.

Information provided by The Blast Shop | www.theblastshop.co.uk

The inscriptions shown below are intended to be helpful in the making of a choice for an inscription – not to presume on your own preference for suitable words and verses which are unique to your memories. If you require any further information regarding your inscription or would like a Free Memorial Drawing with your inscription displayed on a headstone or memorial, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly office team or visit our Blackburn or Blackpool showrooms.

A Selection of Example Inscriptions:

Some Alternative Inscriptions:

• In Ever Loving Memory Of
• In Loving Memory Of
• Loving Memories Of
• Treasured Memories Of
• Precious Memories Of
• Sacred To The Memory Of
• Cherished Memories Of
• Everlasting Memories Of
• In Memory Of
• With Love We Remember
• In Remembrance of
• In Affectionate Memory of
• Who Passed Away 1st January 2000 Aged 89 Years
• Who Died 1st January 2000 Aged 89 Years
• Who Fell Asleep 4th August 1981 Aged 89 Years
• Born 1st January 1920 – Died 1st January 2000
• 15.10.1949 – 12.10.2000
• 1965 – 2000
• Sunrise 29.1.1969 Sunset 29.12.2000
• Who Entered Into Rest 4th August 1981 Aged 89 Years
• Who Departed This Life 4th August 1981 Aged 89 Years