Headstone and gravestone cleaning

Headstone cleaning is the removal of moss, lichen, algae and staining using methods that don't damage the stone. Done properly, it takes a black or green headstone back to a readable, cared-for state and lasts two to three years before it needs doing again. From £54 for a single headstone.

Why headstones go green and black

London cemeteries are damp, shaded and full of mature trees. Lichen and algae colonise stone quickly in those conditions, and the north face of a memorial — which gets no direct sun — usually goes first. Add rain-washed tree residue, bird mess and traffic soot from the surrounding roads, and a stone that was clean fifteen years ago can be completely illegible now.

None of that is your fault, and none of it means the stone is damaged. Underneath, it's almost always fine.

Faded and unreadable inscriptions

Cleaning often reveals that the lettering itself has weathered — the paint or gilding has gone from the cut. That is stone work, and it is a memorial mason's job, requiring cemetery approval. If your family's headstone needs this, tell us and we'll point you to a reputable mason.

How often

A properly cleaned headstone in a London cemetery stays presentable for two to three years. In heavily shaded sections — much of Abney Park, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, parts of the City of London Cemetery — closer to eighteen months. Families on an ongoing care plan never reach that point.

Get a free photo assessment

Send us the cemetery. We'll visit, photograph the stone and give you an honest price.