In the late 1980s the Parish Council was advised by the then Rector, Revd. Roger Fry, that the Churchyard was approaching full capacity for burials. This would mean that within a few years the Churchyard would be closed for further burials and the Parish Council would then have a responsibility to provide a local cemetery for all future burials in the village.

In September 1991 the Parish Council was given a piece of land behind the existing Churchyard by Oxford University. The piece of land was given with a covenant that it could only be used as a village cemetery.

Although there was no charge for the land, there will be substantial costs involved in converting it for use as a cemetery. These include planning permission, solicitor’s fees, surveyor’s fees, water table survey, charge for diversion of footpath, creation of entrance from existing Churchyard, creation of new tarmac paths, fencing etc. In 2006 it was estimated that these costs could be as high as £15,000.

In recent years the Parish Council has transferred an amount from the precept into a deposit account to gradually build up sufficient funds to cover the anticipated cost. The Parish Council considers annually whether it would be prudent to set aside a further sum from the current year's finances.

In 2009, the Parochial Church Council advised the Parish Council that closure of the Churchyard should not be necessary for a while following changes in the law, but has not been able to provide a specific timescale.