Knowing what to do when you lose a pet can be difficult. There are 2 main options to choose from: cremation or burial. You can read more about your options here. If you’re considering a burial, you’ll need to think about where you want to bury your pet. While many people choose to bury their pet in the garden or on private land, it’s good to know that pet cemeteries are also available in many areas. Here you can find a full list of pet cemeteries in the UK.
Please note that some of these pet cemeteries aren’t active and are simply historic sites you can visit. Whether that’s out of interest or for inspiration for a gravestone or memorial for your pet. We’ve marked pet cemeteries you can bury your pet in as “active” pet cemeteries and those that are only open to visit as “historic” pet cemeteries.
East Midlands
Lincolnshire
Greenacres Pet and Equine Crematorium
Active Pet Cemetery
Owned by: The Pet Crematoria
Phone: 01724 784 081
Greenacres Pet Crematorium can be found in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. The Pet Crematoria run a crematorium on-site. But there’s also a tranquil pet cemetery located within the grounds, looking out across the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside. There’s a chapel of rest, where you can say your final farewell. Your pet will then be interred in a prepared grave in the cemetery. You can choose an engraved headstone or memorial, made by a local stonemason.
East of England
Norfolk
The Royal Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
The Royal Pet Cemetery is a private pet cemetery where royal pets have been buried over the years. It sits in a quiet corner of the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. It was originally created by Queen Victoria, who buried Noble, her Collie, in the space in 1887. In 1959, Queen Elizabeth II buried her Corgi, Susan, in the graveyard too. Since, all of Susan’s descendants have been buried near to her and each has a small gravestone commemorating them. The Royal pet cemetery is separated from the rest of the Sandringham Estate with a stone wall that has plaques commemorating other royal pets who’ve passed away over the years, including Prince Philip’s yellow Labrador, Candy. You can access the pet cemetery by a small footpath for free.
London
Greenwich
Old Blue Cross Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
The Old Blue Cross Pet Cemetery is a historic site. Though you can’t bury your pet there, you can visit to remember animals who’ve passed. The site was originally founded by “Our Dumb Friends League” in May 1897, which eventually came to be known as the Blue Cross, a charity dedicated to animal welfare. Records showing the early history of this pet cemetery were lost in a post-war fire. But it is known that the site was originally used as kennels, providing temporary housing for war officers’ dogs during the Boer War. In 1909, Eskimo dogs and puppies from Ernest Shackleton's Arctic Expedition were quarantined there. It also provided housing for pets during the First World War. The site was levelled in 1947 when it became too costly to maintain. In 2012, a local group, Friends of the Pet Cemetery, helped to restore the space, uncovering headstones commemorating all sorts of service animals and pets, including a pet monkey.
Ilford
Ilford PDSA Animal Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Owned by: PDSA
Ilford Pet Cemetery was originally purchased by the PDSA in 1927. Back then, it was called the “PDSA Sanatorium”. The first animal was buried here soon after, and now, there are around 3000 animals buried at the site. It’s now closed for public burials, but it’s maintained as a historical site. It’s recently undergone some refurbishments and is open for visitors. You can find more info and opening hours on the PDSA website.
Westminster
Hyde Park Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Hyde Park Pet Cemetery was never planned to be a cemetery for companions. In 1881, Mr and Mrs J. Lewis Barned asked the park’s gatekeeper, Mr Winbridge, if they’d be able to bury their Maltese dog, Cherry, in the back garden of Victoria Lodge in Hyde park. The gatekeeper agreed, and Cherry was buried there, with a small gravestone which can still be seen today. Soon after, the Duke of Cambridge buried his dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, in a nearby spot too. The space quickly became the main London pet cemetery where wealthy Londoners began to bury their companions. While the pet cemetery in Hyde Park isn’t open for new burials (it was closed in 1903), you can walk around and look at over 300 gravestones, which sometimes give insight into the pet and how they passed away.
North West
Cheshire
Sleepy Meadow Pet Cemetery
Active Pet Cemetery
Independent
Phone: 01270 526 307
Sleepy Meadow Pet Cemetery was opened in 2001, after the owners lost their pet dog. The cemetery is family-run and set in a peaceful 7-acre site overlooking the Cheshire countryside. You can choose from a range of caskets and the family can arrange for your pet’s collar, favourite toys or other items to be buried with them. The pet cemetery is one of the most accessible in the UK – it’s never closed, as the owners know you may want to visit your pet at any time.
Lancashire
PCS Leyland Pet Cemetery
Active Pet Cemetery
Owned by: PCS (Pet Cremation Services)
Phone: 01772 622 466
Leyland Pet Cemetery in Lancashire was opened in 1988 by David Duxbury after visiting America and seeing pet cemeteries over there. He built the pet cemetery on land next to his house in Leyland. There’s also a crematorium on-site if you’d prefer to have your pet cremated.
Rossendale Pet Cemetery and Memorial Gardens
Active Pet Cemetery
Owned by: The Pet Crematoria
Phone: 01706 213 810
Rossendale Pet Cemetery, also known as “Crawshawbooth Pet Cemetery”, is unique in that it offers pet burials as well as human burials. If you’d like to be buried with your pet, this is one of the few cemeteries in the UK that’s able to arrange this. For pet burials, you can visit your pet in the cemetery’s chapel of rest, where they’ll be placed in a silk-lined coffin that has an engraved nameplate. When you purchase a grave plot, you can also reserve surrounding plots if you’d like other pets to be buried side-by-side.
Scotland
Aberdeenshire
Rosehall Pet Cemetery
Active Pet Cemetery
Independent
Phone: 01651 869 248
Rosehall Pet Cemetery is a pet cemetery in Aberdeen. It can be found in the peaceful countryside on the outskirts of North Aberdeen. They offer eco-friendly pet burial services, where they’ll wrap your pet in organic calico and bury them in an individual plot. Once your pet has been buried, the team will plant a native tree or shrub above them and attach a brass name plate with their name. This can help you find your pet’s plot when you visit.
Banffshire
Cullen Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Cullen Pet Cemetery is no longer an active pet cemetery, after regulations were put in place to stop pet owners from burying their pets in the space. But you can still visit to see the graves on a short stroll past the harbour. Amongst the graves of dogs and cats, you can find graves dedicated to Sammy, a seal, a Porbeagle shark and several dolphins.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle Dog Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Edinburgh Castle Pet Cemetery is the final resting place for soldiers’ loyal, canine companions. It can be found just off the main path at the top of Edinburgh Castle and has a small sign that says “Cemetery for soldiers’ dogs”. Some of the gravestones date back to 1837. It’s unique, because burial plots at castles are usually reserved for military personnel and nobles. The oldest grave is dedicated to Jess “band pet of the Black Watch 42nd Royal Highlanders”. The newest grave is that of Winkle, who died in 1980.
West Dunbartonshire
Windy Park Pet Cemetery and Pet Undertakers
Active Pet Cemetery
Independent
Phone: 07981 358 062
Windy Park pet Cemetery and Pet Undertakers are able to bury your pet in their beautiful woodland in West Dunbartonshire. They can collect your pet from your home, or your vet, and have a selection of eco-friendly baskets and caskets for you to choose from. The site also has established woodland where you can scatter your pets ashes, if you’d prefer this to burial.
South East
Kent
Thanet Animal Cemetery
Active Pet Cemetery
Independent
Phone: 01227 647 001
Thanet Pet Cemetery, also known as “Kent Pet Cemetery” or “The Animal Cemetery in Kent” has been around since 1974. It’s the only pet cemetery in Kent and is also one of the UK’s biggest pet cemeteries, with thousands of pets buried on its land. Each pet has an individual grave and you are welcome to mark the spot that they’re buried with a headstone or other memorial. You’re also welcome to scatter ashes at the site.
Surrey
Chobham Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Chobham Pet Cemetery was opened in 1932 by Millicent May and Col R.H.N Baxter, local residents who wanted somewhere to bury their Airdales when they passed away. They made a deal with a local farmer for a piece of his land. When they eventually passed away, their own ashes were buried on the site too. Since then, over 300 pets have been buried at the Chobham Pet Cemetery and you can find roughly 330 gravestones on the site, for pets ranging from cats and dogs to rabbits and other smaller animals. In 2018, a local team called “Friends of Chobham Cemetery” worked together to restore the site, which had become neglected.
Surrey Pet Cemetery
Active Pet Cemetery
Owned by: Pet Crematoria Services
Phone: 01342 893 069
The Surrey Pet Cemetery and Crematorium, also referred to as “Godstone Pet Cemetery”, started out in 1993. It sits on 5-acres of land that overlooks green-belt countryside. The Surrey Pet Cemetery runs on appointments. So make sure to call before taking your pet in. You’ll be able to say your final farewells in the Farewell Room and can choose from a range of coffins before the team lay your pet to rest. You’re also allowed to place a memorial where your pet is buried.
West Sussex
Chestnut Lodge
Independent Pet Cemetery
Phone: 01342 712 976
Open since 1969, Chestnut Lodge Pet Cemetery offers a peaceful resting place for your pet. The pet cemetery offers 2 options: a green burial or a formal burial. If you choose a green burial, the team will wrap your pet in a covering and place them in a grave in the memorial shrub bed. The grave will be marked with a shrub, which will be left to grow naturally. The graves aren’t bordered and there are no stone memorials or markers allowed in the space. If you choose a formal burial, your pet will be buried in the pet cemetery in a marked plot. You can choose from a range of headstones and memorials. If you wish, you can choose a family plot, where several pets can be buried together.
South West
Devon
Haldon Hills Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Haldon Hills Pet Cemetery is a little more difficult to access than other pet cemeteries. It’s in Devonshire woodland near Higher Ashton and isn’t signposted. It’s close to the Haldon Belvedere and the Haldon Forest Park Visitor Centre. Nowadays, it’s cordoned off with barbed wire and a gate with a heavy lock. While the site is often considered completely abandoned, there are signs that people still visit to tend to some of the graves. It seems that there are also new graves, including one to “Susie” who passed away in 2020.
Meadow Wood Pet Cemetery
Active Pet Cemetery
Independent Pet Cemetery
Phone: 01548 853 785
Meadow Wood runs a pet crematorium, as well as a pet cemetery. You can choose between respectful communal cremation, or individual cremations that ensure you only get your own pet’s ashes back. You can also find a garden of remembrance on-site.
Wales
Flintshire
Flint Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Owned by: Pet Funeral Services
Phone: 01352 710 500
Flint Pet Cemetery, also known as “Holywell Pet Cemetery” or “Brynford pet cemetery”, is a large pet cemetery near Brynford, North Wales. It’s owned by Pet Funeral Services, who offer burial services for your pet. They’re able to bury your pet following a similar process to that of a human burial, making sure that pets are cleaned before placing them in a fully lined burial casket with an engraved name plate. Your pet can be laid in the chapel of rest for you to say goodbye, if you wish, before bearers carry the coffin to a bespoke hearse, which will then take them to the graveside. The team can then carry out a short, non-religious service before lowering your pet into the grave to rest. The pet cemetery in Holywell sits in ornamental gardens and there’s a tearoom on site. You can use this cafe to hold a wake to remember your companion.
West Midlands
Sandwell
Sandwell Valley Pet Cemetery
Active Pet Cemetery
Owned by: Sandwell Council
Phone: 0121 569 6700
Sandwell Valley Crematorium has opened a pet memorial garden on its grounds, where you can bury your pet or scatter their ashes. For more info, you can contact the crematorium. They guarantee they follow strict practices and procedures when burying your pet, to ensure they’re treated respectfully and with dignity during the process. They also offer the choice of headstones and grave markers, so you can easily find where your pet is buried.
Yorkshire and the Humber
Knaresborough
Conyngham Hall Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Conyngham Hall Pet Cemetery is a historic site. This means that you can’t bury your pet here, but if you’re interested in visiting a pet cemetery, it could be an option for you. This Victorian pet cemetery is hidden away in the woods behind Conyngham Hall and has 24 kennel-shaped graves. They have dates on them ranging between 1859 and 1932 and are thought to belong to pets who lived in Conyngham Hall over the years. You can find more information about its history on Atlas Obscurav.
Scarborough
Scarborough Pet Cemetery
Historic Pet Cemetery
Scarborough Pet Cemetery is a historic, Victorian pet cemetery. While you can’t bury your pet here today, the site does draw in a lot of visitors. It’s thought to have been opened in the late 1980s by 2 sisters who lived on the estate. While a lot of the estate was levelled in 1933 to allow for the building of the Valley Bridge, the cemetery survived. The 2 sisters left money towards the cemetery’s upkeep, but over the years it’s become overgrown and is relatively hidden away underneath foliage. If you look carefully though, you can still find graves with names like Muffie, Guy, Micheline and Noel.
Photo by Michael Williams on Unsplash.