You may have seen the recent SunLife Cost of Dying 2024 Report*, this provides a breakdown of average costs for funerals, including direct cremations and direct burials, nationwide.
At The Natural Burial Company we are concerned at these findings. Our ethos is simple, Care for the Environment, Care for the Bereaved, and Fighting Funeral Poverty. Accordingly whilst not only ensuring we provide environmentally friendly funerals to encourage nature and leave a natural legacy, we also ensure our pricing is fair and provides excellent value for money.
The SunLife survey states that the average cost of a “basic funeral” which includes a limousine and a midrange coffin is £4,141. A rise of 4.7% from the previous year.
The average cost listed by SunLife for a burial service is £5,077. For comparison a burial service provided by The Natural Burial Company, with a comparable coffin, new grave and interment fees (but no limousine) is £3,030 at our Prestwold and Scraptoft Natural Burial Grounds, and £3,200 at our Wrottesley Park Natural Burial Ground. Even adding the cost of an external celebrant (average £220) the Natural Burial Funeral Service costs £1,827 less than the average (£1,657 less at Wrottesley Park).
For Direct Burial the difference is even more stark, with the average cost listed by SunLife as £1,657 without third party fees such as the plot. The cost of the Natural Burial Company Direct Burial is £1,740, which includes the plot and all fees.
The cost listed for Direct Cremation is £1,498. This is below the Natural Burial Company cost. However, The Natural Burial Company charges include plot and interment fees, and the planting of 3 trees. The price is £1,750 with an unattended interment or £1,980 with a full graveside service/celebration of life, including tree planting.
We understand that money is tight for so many people and we want to do what we can to help at this most difficult of times. Accordingly, you are welcome to contact our team at any time on (0116) 222 0247 or by email
A survey, conducted by The Natural Burial Company, has provided clear evidence of public demand for greener funerals, and for more information to be available regarding environmentally friendly funeral options.
There is clear evidence that many are looking to be more environmentally friendly in their lives. However, there has previously been little research regarding demand for green and environmentally friendly funerals. Therefore, The Natural Burial Company conducted a public survey between July and September, the results of which are clear.
The conclusions of the survey are simple. Many want a greater choice of greener options and transparency in information available. More information, and availability of green funeral options is essential. Allowing the bereaved an “Informed Choice” is key.
The survey asked 20 questions, with the opportunity to provide additional information regarding personal attitudes and opinions on green funerals.
Key findings from the survey are as follows.
73% of respondents stated that they would prefer to use the services of a funeral company that worked to strong environmental standards. A further 25% stated that they probably would.
98% of respondents believed that funeral service providers should have information readily available regarding green products and services. 67% thought this should be mandatory.
When asked “what would stop you from arranging an environmentally friendly funeral” 67% stated availability of services, 41% cost and 22% lack of knowledge/awareness.
Knowledge of the cost of greener funerals also clearly illustrates confusion amongst the public. 44% believed a green funeral to be more expensive and 25% less expensive than a traditional funeral service.
Regarding planning of their own funeral service, 56% have made no specific arrangements but stated that they want their funeral to be green.
When asked specific questions, 84% stated that they would select a coffin with “green” handles such as wood or rope, rather than the industry standard coloured plastic options. A further 5% answered that they would, dependent on cost.
This attitude also encompasses other related services. 83% said that they did not want floral tributes wrapped in plastic, and 75% would prefer not to have tributes in plastic trays or using florist foam/oasis.
Christopher Doggett, Managing Director of The Natural Burial Company said “It is clear that many wish for greener funerals, and want a greater understanding of what is available to them in time of need. Having a range of greener services and ensuring transparency regarding available options is so important”.
The Natural Burial Company will be conducting a similar survey in the summer of 2024 to gauge changes in demand and awareness.
For further information, including the full survey results, please contact Christopher at
With thanks to Lili, The Countryside Celebrant, and Rachel for the photograph.
In common with previous years, we will be relaxing our regulations throughout the festive period to allow tasteful, personalisation of graves using natural materials.
Between Sunday 10th December 2023 and Monday 8th January 2024, graves may be decorated, subject to items being appropriate to a natural burial ground and respectful to all within our care.
Please do not place items of sentimental or financial value on graves as The Natural Burial Company cannot be held responsible for damaged or lost items.
After 8th January 2024 any items remaining will be removed. Therefore, please remove items from the grave before this date if you wish to keep them for future use.
Thank you for your help in maintaining the natural and environmental integrity of the natural burial ground.
The official opening of the Orchards at Prestwold Natural Burial Ground will be conducted by The Rt Hon Baroness Morgan of Cotes this coming Saturday, 9th September 2023.
Everyone is welcome to attend this event which will be accompanied by an open day between 12.00pm and 3.00pm. The opening ceremony will be at 1.00pm.
Refreshments will be available throughout the day and the Natural Burial Company team will be available to answer questions regarding natural burial, green funerals, and The Orchards.
It is the intention of The Natural Burial Company to ensure that The Orchards is developed to ensure the maximum possible benefit to the environment and the community. Accordingly, partnerships are being developed with community groups, and a sensory area is being prepared to provide sensory stimulation and many other benefits to many within society.
If you wish to visit The Orchards but are unable to attend on Saturday, or would like further information please email and our team would be happy to help.
In order to help The Natural Burial Company, and other funeral directors, to provide the best possible environmentally friendly services and information, we have prepared a survey to gain an understanding of public opinion regarding green funeral services. As such, we invite everyone interested to help us by completing this survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2Q62ZGW
The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete and runs between August 11th and September 11th 2023, with the results published at the end of September. Allowing funeral service providers a greater insight into attitudes towards green funeral services.
All responses are confidential and there are no right or wrong answers. We are simply interested in your views and understanding regarding green funerals.
The Natural Burial Company are proud to announce that we have once again been nominated in the highly prestigious Good Funeral Awards.
This year we have to date been nominated in three categories – Best Burial Ground, Best Innovative Service (for our Direct Natural Burials), and Best Bereavement Awareness Support (for Wrottesley Park Environment Day). The nominations remain open until 31st July so we may also receive further nominations. This is a great honour for The Natural Burial Company as we care deeply for providing the best possible service to the bereaved and the environment.
We have been successful in previous years, winning Best Bereavement Awareness Day in 2019 and Burial Ground of the Year in 2021. We have also been honoured to have been nominated for awards in 2018 and 2022.
The Good Funeral Awards are presented annually in conjunction with the National Association of Green Funeral Directors, and nominations are received from those involved in funeral service and the general public. Accordingly, anyone can nominate those they believe have provided exceptional service in a number of categories covering all aspects of funeral service. This years event is being held on Saturday 23rd September at the National Conference Centre, Solihull, and further details of the event and how to nominate can be found here Home (agfdgoodfuneralawards.co.uk)
The ways in which we say goodbye to loved ones are becoming more personal. With a greater awareness of environmental issues, fewer religious services, and a greater desire for more personalised goodbyes, celebrations of life are growing in popularity. Full burial services, and natural interments of cremated remains after direct cremations are now regularly arranged.
At The Natural Burial Company our passion is to provide a totally personalised service to meet your needs, in line with our ethos of caring for the bereaved, the environment, and keeping prices low.
At each natural burial ground only one full burial a day is conducted, which allows as much time as you wish for the celebration or service. This time can be used for a picnic, listening to music, or simply spending time remembering your loved one. The Natural Burial Company can provide shelters, chairs, simple refreshments, and a quality Bluetooth speaker. We can also help to prepare the celebration or service, and act as master of ceremonies if you wish. A list of exceptional celebrants is also available to help conduct the service and we also work with all local ministers of religion and officiants. Key to everything, is ensuring that the goodbye is exactly as you wish it to be.
You do not have to have a traditional hearse and a discreet vehicle is used by most families. Although we are also able to provide Horse Drawn, Motorcycle, or other hearses. An Electric Hearse can also be supplied.
There are now a large selection of environmentally friendly coffins, caskets and shrouds available. From Cardboard to Bamboo, Willow, Banana Leaf and Pandanus. Likewise, Ashes Caskets are available in a large of beautiful environmentally friendly materials. Our supplier has the same ethics as us, and are a Guaranteed member of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO).
Direct Cremation is becoming an increasingly popular option, allowing cost savings and for a celebration or service to be conducted at the natural burial ground on a day and time convenient to all who wish to attend. This could be on a special day such as an anniversary, or you can simply wait for warmer weather in order to allow a picnic if the death occurred in winter.
However you wish to celebrate the life of a loved one our team are here to help. We can provide advice, support and guidance to ensure everything is as you wish it to be. We can be contacted on (0116) 222 0247 or email
As we continue to work hard to serve the community and the environment, we are humbled to receive thanks from so many people. Our passion is to help and to make a difference at the most difficult time in the lives of those we serve. When we receive thanks it empowers us as we know we have succeeded in this end.
Therefore, when we recently received the following Google review from Nathaniel we were truly honoured.
“Words cannot express how incredible the team are at NBC. They handled my parents burials and services, and from top to bottom were an absolute joy to liaise with, remaining sensitive at all times incredibly personal and supportive. After trusting them with this deeply painful but extremely important life experience, I shall never look back and it almost totally erases the conventional “funeral” companies from all of existence. Once you go the natural way, and with this company, you will never regret it. Best decision I ever made was dialling that phone number. Many thanks to Chris, Nina and the whole team, and of course Awen, the fantastic celebrant who now works independently but can be requested, I advise you to also do the same here. Thank you all beyond words”
Nina, Rachel, Christopher and all of the team at The Natural Burial Company will continue to do everything they can to support the bereaved and the environment, and to help fight funeral poverty. Our reward is helping you, but to Nathaniel and everyone who takes the time to express thanks to us at such a difficult time in their lives, we sincerely thank you in return. It is our honour to serve you.
We are pleased to announce that our new natural burial ground, The Orchards at Prestwold, is now available for full burials and interments of cremated remains. Situated close to Loughborough, the natural burial ground is easily accessible from Charnwood, Leicester, Nottingham and throughout the Midlands. In fact, as there are no additional fees for non-residents anyone can purchase a plot at The Orchards.
This new natural burial ground is being lovingly developed to ensure a beautiful resting place, ensuring a natural legacy for those in its care, and a tranquil place to visit and remember. All burials will be conducted ensuring care for the environment, nature and biodiversity.
Trees are currently being planted to encourage wildlife and a sensory area is also being developed for nature and visitors alike. Burial plots may be selected in advance, and a tree planted for a natural legacy. Alternatively, meadow plots can also be chosen, ensuring beautiful views of the countryside.
The Orchards will ensure sufficient space is available for natural burial for decades to come, allowing plots to be selected and paid for many years in advance.
Full services can also be conducted at The Orchards, with Shelters, Chairs and music provided. The Natural Burial Company can also supply refreshments if required, or you can bring your own picnic to celebrate the life of your loved one. Only one service is conducted a day, so there are no time constraints.
For further information, or to arrange to visit The Orchards, please email info@thenaturalburialcompany or telephone us on (0116) 222 0247.
The Sun Life Cost of Dying Report for 2023 has now been published. This much respected annual report provides a comprehensive view of funeral costs and attitudes across the country.
This report provides extremely interesting information regarding funeral costs, including breaking down prices into categories and regional variations.
The Natural Burial Company is dedicated to supporting the bereaved, an aspect of this is ensuring that our services are well priced. We always try to ensure fair pricing, and strive to ensure personal, caring services to provide exceptional value for money. Therefore, we have taken the opportunity to study the latest Sun Life report and compare our prices against the published findings.
The average cost of a funeral service in the East and West Midlands is quoted as £3,892. It is noted that 1 in 4 people who arranged a funeral were surprised by the cost. Burial is on average more expensive than cremation with the average cost of a burial being £4,794.
Comparing The Natural Burial Company prices against the above the difference in cost and value is clear.
A full “Family Led” burial service arranged by The Natural Burial Company at our Prestwold or Scraptoft Natural Burial Grounds with a Cardboard Coffin would be £2,700. The same service at Wrottesley Park would be £2,870 – This represents a saving of £2,094 at Prestwold or Scraptoft, and £1,924 at Wrottesley Park against the quoted average price.
Even with a Willow Eco Coffin these prices only rise to £2,940 at Prestwold and Scraptoft, and £3,110 at Wrottesley Park.
These Natural Burial Company prices are for a complete burial service, with a new grave. Furthermore, only one burial is arranged a day so there are not the time constraints experienced at most crematoria and cemeteries. Further details regarding our burial services are available here Full Natural Burial – Direct Natural Funerals (funeralsdirect.co.uk)
The Sun Life reports also discusses the continued popularity of Direct Cremation services. The cost of such services can vary greatly, with some internet providers offering a service for less than £1,000. Accordingly the average cost is so much lower than standard cremations and burials, at £1,511.
The Natural Burial Company now offer a similar service. Although we believe it important to provide our own very personal level of service, support and care, even in these most simple of arrangements. We also include Interment of the Cremated Remains at one of our Natural Burial Grounds in the price of our Direct Cremations. Furthermore, as cremation is not as environmentally friendly as natural burial we will plant 3 trees for each Direct Cremation we conduct. Accordingly, whilst our costs are higher than the average at £1,750 for a Direct Cremation with Unattended Interment at a Natural Burial Ground, and £1,980 including a full Cremated Remains Interment Service or Celebration of Life. Again, we believe that this provides exceptional value when compared to the average price which is for a Direct Cremation only. Further details regarding these services are available here Direct Cremation – Direct Natural Funerals (funeralsdirect.co.uk)
The Natural Burial Company also believe in offering a Direct Natural Burial service for those who require the simplicity of an unattended service, whilst having a burial rather than cremation. The cost of this service is £1,740 and further details are available here Direct Natural Burial – Direct Natural Funerals (funeralsdirect.co.uk)
Of course, you may wish to use the services of your own family funeral director. We work with all funeral directors and will make the arrangements to meet your needs. Even in such a case you will find great savings when comparing plot and interment prices to the local council cemetery.
*Loughborough Cemetery charge £1,430 for the purchase of a Traditional Grave and Interment for an adult, or £1,230 for a Lawn Grave and Interment. Whilst these prices appear reasonable, they are doubled for non-residents of Loughborough and tripled for those who live outside of Charnwood. The cost of a full grave plot and interment fee at Prestwold Natural Burial Ground is £1,250.
At Gilroes Cemetery in Leicester the charges are £3,360 for a Traditional Grave and Interment for an adult, or £2,170 for a Lawn Grave. Again, charges are doubled for non-residents. The cost of a full grave plot and interment fee at Scraptoft Natural Burial Ground is £1,250.
At Danescourt Cemetery in Wolverhampton the charges for the above is £3,110, a 50% surcharge is also added for non-residents. The cost at Wrottesley Park Natural Burial Ground is £1,420.
Furthermore, The Natural Burial Company do not charge any additional fees for those living away from the area. Not only this, all plots may be personally selected and paid for in advance at todays price. Finally, it is worth remembering that a natural burial helps support the environment, provides a beautiful natural legacy, and ensures a tranquil, peaceful place for visitors to visit and remember.
For further information or to arrange to visit one of our natural burial grounds please call (0116) 222 0247 or email
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