RUSTIC & HAND CARVED HEADSTONES

With so many rustic and hand carved headstone designs, styles and variations available, not to mention the vast range of stone materials, colours and shades to choose from, it’s no surprise that many customers come to us for guidance and advice when it comes to selecting the perfect headstone to memorialise a loved one.

Many of our customers find that requesting to download our brochure is a great place to start as this provides several rustic and hand carved headstone styles, materials, and examples to help narrow down your memorial search. Many customers approach us with a specific headstone idea in mind. This could be an idea you have formed in your head or a picture of a rustic or other hand carved headstone design that you have seen in a cemetery or somewhere online. This is perfectly fine, so rest assured our expert headstone design team and skilled memorial stonemasons can hand craft just about any bespoke design or idea you can think of.

Browsing rustic and hand carved headstones at your local cemetery and online, or simply booking an appointment to speak through your options in detail with one of our advisors and to view them in person will greatly help you come to a suitable decision when considering headstone options to help honour and remember the lives of those you love.

When searching for a reputable memorial stonemason company there are many things to consider.

The first thing you need to ensure is that the masons are capable of crafting hand carved memorials and can craft the headstone into the shape and design that you are seeking.
Some headstone suppliers may only offer machine cut headstones or may not have the experience and craftsmanship to meet your memorial needs.

Research their monumental stonemasonry experience, accreditations, craftsmanship and hand carving abilities, quality of product, and knowledge of the specific cemetery you are purchasing a headstone for. It is also incredibly important to ensure that you feel both confident and comfortable on a personal level while working with your stonemasons to design and create your memorial.

Furthermore, you will be expected to pay a deposit when you place your order, meaning it’s vital that you have complete confidence in the memorial stonemasons ability to complete the memorial in your local memorial ground and remain in business so that you don’t end up in the unfortunate position of losing your deposit.

Choosing to go direct to an experienced and well established memorial mason rather than through an agent (such as a funeral director or other middle provider) will also allow you to communicate directly with the masons who are carving your memorial and may potentially help you avoid any additional costs that may have otherwise been involved, such as commissions or extra charges a “middle-party” may apply.

Ultimately, you will benefit from peace of mind by choosing a long established memorial stonemason with a good reputation.

We can certainly go through your options in great detail to help you reach a decision on which rustic or hand carved headstone you should choose. We can highlight the benefits of different soft stones that are more suited to hand carving, show you a variety of rustic headstone styles and designs that meet your requirements, and discuss the range of detailing options that are available for each particular headstone.

The best material to use when crafting a hand carved headstone is a soft stone. Most hand carved headstones are crafted using limestone or sandstone as these stones are much softer and far easier to carve than harder stones such as granite. Which stone material you should choose will come down to the type of colour, tone, and texture that best suits your taste. The location the headstone is to be installed in should also be taken into consideration as softer stones are more prone to deteriorating faster in certain environments. That isn’t to say that certain stone materials should be immediately ruled out based on where it’ll be installed (such as underneath a tree where the memorial may be prone to falling leaves & debris during certain seasons), but that you may want to take into account the upkeep of the memorial – there are memorial aftercare services available you may want to consider to ensure the headstone is kept in the best condition possible throughout the year.  

Alternatively, we are able to offer a wide variety of rustic-inspired headstone designs that can be crafted from the more durable granite stone. 

At Mossfords, we offer all of the popular headstone materials that you’d expect from any memorial stonemason.

Hand carved headstones that are crafted from a softer stone, such as limestone, sandstone or slate will only be available in the natural colour of those materials – as the headstones are crafted from naturally sourced stone materials, each headstone may differ slightly from the next with its unique tone, texture and patterns.

We do offer an endless range of headstones with a rustic design that can be crafted from granite, and we can create a bespoke rustic design for you if required. As granite is available in many different colours and shades, it is possible for your granite rustic-inspired headstone to be crafted in any available colour of your choice.

A coloured rustic headstone allows one to honour their lost loved one in a way they see most fitting. Perhaps in a favourite colour, or because they want something that isn’t as sombre as the typical black or grey headstones.

Cemeteries and churchyards have different rules and regulations with regards to what they allow within their graveyards, so it’s always worth checking what their stance is with headstones of different colours and materials to ensure your rustic headstone choice won’t be rejected by them.

Choosing a headstone for a loved one can be a very difficult and emotional process, so we would always advise that you take as long as necessary to come to your decision so that you can be sure you’re honouring and remembering their life in the most fitting way. There really is no right or wrong answer – you should take as long as you require.

From a technical standpoint, most cemeteries request that you wait at least 6-12 months before erecting a headstone so that the ground has time to settle following a burial.

Read: Learn More About Grave Settling

Timescales differ between cemeteries and also tend to differ between memorial type – for example, a cemetery may request a wait of 6-12 months before a headstone can be installed and erected, while they may allow a cremation memorial to be installed immediately.

If you’re unsure, our qualified and highly experienced staff can advise and guide you through this process.

Other than that, there is no set time that you should wait before placing a headstone on a grave – it is all down to you and when you feel ready. People often find it is a good idea to not rush the process, as time can help you better decide on the rustic or hand carved headstone design itself as well as the inscription.

In the vast majority of cases the answer is yes. Our memorial stonemasons are very experienced and highly skilled, so we are able to meet bespoke requirements and recreate or hand carve any headstone design. Simply provide us with an image and/or an idea of what you are looking for, and we will do our very best to help. Many people choose a rustic or hand carved headstone as they want the memorial to be truly unique and different from others, so this is something we fully understand and would be more than happy to discuss with you. Alternatively, you may want us to replicate a rustic or hand carved headstone design that you saw elsewhere and really liked and this is something we can also easily accommodate.

The design and creation of any headstone, be it hand carved or machine cut, and the engraving of its inscription is a highly skilled process. This means we can expect it to take some time before any rustic or hand carved headstone is complete following the order – certainly several weeks, and perhaps months. The timeframe will also depend on the current demand and accessibility of the stone material you choose, so for a more accurate answer you will be best served asking for an up-to-date estimated lead time at the time of order.

Yes, you can certainly add something to any existing rustic or hand carved headstone. This could be a special design or etching, or an additional inscription or change of font. Whatever it may be, we can discuss your requirements and confirm what headstone amendments can be carried out dependant on your particular memorial and the stone it has been crafted from.

The truth is, there really is no accurate average cost of a headstone, regardless of whether it is hand carved or specifically crafted into a rustic design. This is because each headstone is unique, and the cost will vary based on the material, size, headstone type and more rather than just labour involved. For an accurate quote, we would advise you contact a representative so that we can take the specific details you require beforehand.

One thing we can confirm upfront is our price promise – we are confident that our prices are the most competitive around and offer a discount should a customer find the same quality product elsewhere, so long as it’s supplied by a recognised and reputable memorial mason or funeral director.

Yes, all our headstones and other memorials come with an unbeatable 30-year guarantee.

Yes, we are BRAMM (British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons) approved, and a registered and fully licensed memorial mason with over 200 years industry experience having first established ourselves way back in 1821.

We can send you several proofs of what the rustic or hand carved headstone will look like before proceeding with the creation. If you don’t approve of the design, we can re-work the layout or style to meet your needs. We understand just how important it will be to craft the perfect headstone for you and your loved one, so rest assured we will work closely with you throughout the entire process.

We can and have shipped headstones overseas many times, but you must be aware that there are of course additional costs incurred with overseas shipping, such as specialist packaging, insurance, and duty.