Burial is a more tradition method of disposition of the dead. A traditional burial at a cemetery, churchyard or natural or woodland setting involves the internment of a coffin in a grave.

Burial in a Cemetery – A religious service is not essential at a cemetery, which tend to have a more modern approach and are suitable for non-denominational funerals if the deceased was not a religious person. Cemetery’s usually have designated areas as different religious groups too.

Burial in a Churchyard – To have a burial in a churchyard or on consecrated land usually requires a Church of England service.

Burial in a natural or woodland setting – A natural or woodland burial is a good choice for a person who had a passion for the great outdoors and cared about environmental issues. In a woodland burial, the body is buried less deep than in a cemetery or churchyard which means it can decompose more aerobically amid the surrounding flora and fauna. Natural burials do not require a religious service.

Environmental considerations – Burial can be a greener, more environmentally friendly choice than cremation as it avoids harmful emissions into the atmosphere however both burial and cremation do have some impact on the environment. Further information can be found on our Eco-friendly green Funerals Page.

It a cremation ceremony, the deceased’s coffin slides gently into an incinerator and the subsequent ashes are returned to you to keep or scatter as you wish.

Often a funeral service at a church or other location precedes this, as the actual time allocated at the crematorium chapel is generally limited to around 20-30 minutes. You may prefer to book a double slot if you would like a longer crematorium service.

It is possible to choose a direct cremation without a service or anyone in attendance. In this case, the coffin is taken from our premises and the ashes returned to you at a later date.

Direct cremation is often chosen where people don’t feel comfortable with a tradition funeral or service or where they want a simplicity, possibly with a memorial service at a later date.

You have many options when the ashes are returned to you after the cremation. These can be preserved as a lasting reminder of a loved one or simply returned to nature. These are a few ideas:

• Burying them somewhere special; a memorable location
• Scattering them in the breeze from a special place
• Treasuring them safe at home in an ornamental urn
• Having some made into a keepsake piece of jewellery or piece of art or an ornament
• Growing a tree from their ashes in a bio-urn
• Scattering them at sea