Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Would you live near a cemetery/graveyard?

123 replies

Santasbigredbobblehat · 07/10/2026 21:34

Just watched Location and a couple went to view a nice house, but when they saw it had a view of a graveyard they were immediately put off. I personally really like them and find them peaceful and interesting to look at. Would others object?

OP posts:
CrazyMidget · 08/10/2026 00:00

I would if the house was priced lower than equivalents that are not near the graveyard. I wouldn't mind it at all if I got a nice fat discount. 😋

RockinCara · 08/10/2026 00:01

My mum’s house overlooks an old graveyard. It’s lovely and peaceful. Lots of wildlife and trees. I’d choose that over some house that looks straight into someone else’s garden or, even worse, their windows, or that looks onto a main road.

autumnskyes · 08/10/2026 00:04

My house backs on to a cemetery. Sometimes if there's a creak in the house I'll be like "It's one of the ghosts passing through!"

But it's totally fine, its a closed cemetery so there are no new burials, and its a really nice setting with lots of trees etc and peaceful to walk through. I've never had an issue at all with it.

CrazyMidget · 08/10/2026 00:04

Cattenberg · 07/10/2026 22:16

Not too near. Didn't living next to a cemetery make the Brontes ill?

It did, via the water. But sanitation has improved, luckily!

autumnskyes · 08/10/2026 00:15

Glitchymn1 · 07/10/2026 22:22

Yes I would, peaceful! Don’t fear the dead, fear the living.

Absolutely! When people ask me if I'm worried about living next to a cemetery I always say I worry about the living people who might be lurking around at night, never the dead.

DramaAlpaca · 08/10/2026 00:50

I wouldn't have a problem with that at all. My friend lives in a converted church in the middle of an old graveyard and it's amazing, I'm really envious. It's so peaceful and pretty, and it's full of wildlife.

sweetpickle2 · 08/10/2026 00:51

The house I grew up in was in the grounds of one- it was a very old one though, the gravestones were all from Victorian times. It was very cool and peaceful, and of course a wonderful bit of history!

Had it been an ‘active’ graveyard with mourners coming and going I may have potentially felt different.

Tickingcrocodile · 08/10/2026 00:52

I like cemeteries. I find them peaceful and reflective and would like to live near one. DH completely vetoed the idea, although couldn't explain why.

caringcarer · 08/10/2026 00:55

It would put me off. I'm getting older so don't want to be reminded of death on a daily basis every time I look out my window.

LondonLass2026 · 08/10/2026 08:01

Yep, all day long.

Some good friends of mine had a house overlooking a graveyard, and when I first went to see them 15 years ago, I thought "I could never do this!"

And then some years later I moved up north and into a house where I have an extremely noisy and antisocial neighbour. The rest of the estate is great, people are quiet, but she had received an inheritance and told us that's the only way she could afford this house.

I thought back to the graveyard and craved that peace.

If the house overlooked the graveyard AND you still had noisy neighbours, it still wouldn't bother me. Rather that than a noisy road or playground.

ClaudeHopper · 08/10/2026 08:04

Yes, why not? Peaceful, usually pretty. Not going to be developed.

MookieBananas · 08/10/2026 08:06

We do! We overlook a graveyard and it's lovely. Quiet, and as our area is very built up it gives us green space. It's one of the reasons I chose the house

CherryKerry · 08/10/2026 08:08

I would love it, fascinated by cemeteries and would make much better neighbours than I have now.

There's an old converted church slap bang in the middle of one up for sale near me, was very tempted..

HoppingPavlova · 08/10/2026 08:11

I would as would think it would be quiet and peaceful. Would much prefer dead neighbours than living ones, lots less trouble👍.

HerissonCache · 08/10/2026 09:30

After I divorced, I bought a little cottage in a graveyard- it was the old gravedigger’s house. It was beautiful, old, misty and full of wildlife- a really healing place. Pretty soon after, I moved to London to be with now DH, but used to spend a great deal of time there when I was on maternity leave with my babies.

I always felt so safe and looked after, and reckon it was those old ghosts looking after the babies. It was one of the happiest places I have ever lived ❤️

tetherabumfit · 08/10/2026 09:31

I live near one, can see it from the house. It’s a lovely space, quiet and peaceful. I never think of it in terms of being spooked by it.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 08/10/2026 09:34

I live two doors down from one. My house overlooks the graveyard. I walk past it nightly on the dog's last walk (in the dark). Apart from owls, the hooty bastards, there's nothing there that disturbs me. The church itself is of Saxon origin although the Victorians got their hands on it and mucked about with it, which upsets me more than does the generations of villagers buried there.

CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard · 08/10/2026 09:49

My old house (the one before this one) backed right into the local church graveyard. It was lovely…my garden had a low stone wall and I could sit feel the peace of the place. I loved it. There were graves dating back to the 1600s.

SleeplessRoads · 08/10/2026 09:52

Having my own graveyard in the grounds of my house would be an actual dream. If it was a really old one anyway. I could spend hours wandering round my local graveyard reading the headstones.

But where I grew up there was a lot of antisocial behaviour centred around the grave yard, so I’d probably need to see that specific one at night time before deciding, as if it’s where all the teens go for boozing and fighting I’d probably pass.

Seeline · 08/10/2026 09:59

Was watching with my DD and we had the same discussion! I said it wouldn't worry me at all. She said the fact that it was a graveyard wouldn't bother her, but in her uni city there was a massive graveyard that was known for drug dealing, anti-social behaviour, meeting place for the local thieves etc, so wouldn't mind being able to see it, but wouldn't want to be next to it. We decided some really thick prickly hedges were the answer😆

DustyMaiden · 08/10/2026 09:59

I live very near but can’t see it from windows. I walk through it to get to the swimming pool.
It doesn’t bother me like it would have when I was young with a vivid imagination.

pumpkinpielatte · 08/10/2026 10:02

No I would not. I've dont want to see graves and reminders of death every single day.

As for it being peaceful - there are plenty of houses in peaceful areas that dont involve graves 🤣 my own house is in a very lovely, peaceful area and I dont look out onto gravestones so the idea that you can only find peace near graves is a bit silly

Also agree that they can attract a lot of anti social behaviour

Friendlygingercat · 08/10/2026 11:11

At least the neighbours would be quiet and non intrusive! I would have no objection as I hate neighbours. A good one is a dead one.

Kadiofakit · 08/10/2026 11:43

We live across from a large cemetery, so our neighbours across the street back on to it. I have no problems with grave yards what so ever, find them peaceful. The only problem can be wildlife and during this summer's heatwave, a neighbour found out that the cemetary still allowed live candles on graves, they hadn't thought of it as dangerous. 😨

So graveyards can have other dangers rather than just ghosts

Gourdgirl · 08/10/2026 12:03

I love graveyards. I could happily live in a converted chapel