FAQs

• Can I choose a grave plot in advance?  –  Yes.  You are welcome to meet with us at the burial ground and choose your plot.  Once paid (at today’s price) there will be no other costs for the plot. The only additional charge will be an interment fee at the time of need.

• What services are available?  –  We can arrange full burials in either a woodland or meadow area, burials of cremated remains and scattering of cremated remains.

• What are the coffin requirements?  – We strongly encourage the use of an environmentally friendly coffin such as Cardboard, Bamboo or Willow.  We also allow shroud burials.

• Is embalming allowed?  –  We strongly discourage embalming.  However, we appreciate that for various reasons embalming may be required.  Therefore, we do not totally ban this practice.

• What clothing is allowed on the deceased?  – We request only natural fibres.  Shoes and boots are not recommended.

• Can a couple be buried in the same grave?  –  For environmental reasons all graves are dug at single depth.  However, adjoining graves, where available, can be purchased to ensure a family remains together.  To this end we recommend that both plots are purchased at the same time.  Family areas with multiple plots can also be purchased.

• What memorials can I have?  –  As a natural burial ground, we wish to ensure the natural beauty of our environment.  We do offer small slate plaques to mark graves.  However, all other memorials are to encourage nature.  Trees and a variety of nature boxes are available.  The sale of these items helps support the maintenance and care of our burial grounds and help develop the area for the future.  You cannot provide your own memorials or personalise graves. 

• Can I have a memorial if we Scatter Cremated Remains? – Yes.  Cremated Remains are scattered in specific areas as we would not scatter directly on to graves.  You can have a plaque or tree within our memorial area and a range of nature boxes are also available.

• May we have flowers on the funeral? – Yes.  We recommend simple arrangements without florist ribbon, plastic bowls, cellophane or oasis.  Please consider the environment when you are ordering flowers or floral tributes.

• What will happen to the burial ground in the future?  –  All of our burial grounds will be returned to nature.

• Will the grave be re-used?  –  No graves will be re-used.

• How do you know where someone is buried?  –  We hold a site plan for each site, complete a burial register and have both online and paper records.  Furthermore, for each burial we mark the grave with a proprietary location system which ensures the grave can be located in the future.

• Can we have a service at the burial ground?  – Yes, and our burial grounds are open to all religions and those with no religion.  We can also arrange a shelter and basic seating if required.  However, we have no other facilities on site. 

• When can we arrange funerals?  –  Any service can be arranged with as little as 48 hours notice.  We can conduct services at any time, 7 days a week.

• How about visiting?  –  You are welcome to visit whenever you wish.  We will provide clients with the combination code of the gate or bollards so that they can access the burial ground when the gates are locked.  You are welcome to visit with your dog if it is well behaved and on a lead.  Please take all litter and dog foul away with you.  We do not have litter bins at our burial grounds.

• Can we plant flowers on the grave?  – Wild flowers, native to the area can be planted on the grave.  However, the grave cannot be manicured or personalised and we wish to ensure the burial ground remains as natural as possible for the benefit of the environment and all who attend and visit.

• Can we release balloons at the graveside? – Unfortunately not. There is evidence that balloons have harmed birds and aquatic life as well as resulting in environmentally unfriendly litter.

• Can we have a memorial for someone who is buried elsewhere? – Yes, within our memorial area where trees and plaques can be sited.  Key to our ethos is providing beautiful places for remembrance.

• How do you dig graves?  – All graves are dug by hand to ensure minimum impact upon the environment.  If any mechanical aid is required, this will be used for the shortest possible time.

• How long do we have for the service? – We only conduct one burial a day at each burial ground.  Therefore, you have as much time to say goodbye as you wish.

• Is the burial ground only for certain religions or for those living in the area? – No.  All of our burial grounds are open to those of all faiths and no faith.  Likewise, you can be buried in our burial grounds irrespective of your home address.  Furthermore, our charges are the same for all.

• Is natural burial more expensive than traditional burials?  –  No.  In fact, natural burial is in the main much cheaper than traditional cemeteries and many crematoria.  It is our aim to support the community and help alleviate funeral poverty, therefore it is a stated aim to keep pricing low.