It is widely believed that the cost of burial is high. For municipal cemeteries this can be true, as lack of space and other factors lead to ever spiralling prices. However green burials are different, and beautiful, natural funerals can be arranged for a fraction of the cost.
At The Natural Burial Company we have been looking into burial prices in our local areas and have been surprised by our findings. A green funeral at a natural burial ground is by far the most environmentally friendly funeral service available. However, as well as helping to care for nature and protect our future, natural burial will also save you money.
So to help you make informed choices we have listed below prices for each of our burial grounds compared to the local city/town cemetery. To keep things simple we have compared full burials only. Although similar comparative savings are available when considering cremated remains burials and memorial options.
Leicester
At our Scraptoft natural burial ground on the outskirts of Leicester a full burial plot is £750. The interment fee (gravedigging and administration) is £435. Therefore, the total cost of a new grave with interment is £1,185.
Compare this to the costs of a lawn grave at Leicester of £1,300 for the plot, and interment fees of £745 (total £2,045) for a resident of Leicester. Fees for non-residents of Leicester are doubled (total £4,090). A permit to erect a memorial adds a further £200.00
At Scraptoft, as at all of our burial grounds, you can also choose your plot and there are no additional charges, wherever you live.
Wolverhampton
Our Wrottesley Park natural burial ground close to Wolverhampton has larger overhead costs, hence is slightly more expensive than our other burial grounds. However, whilst the plot cost of £890 and interment fees of £435 total £1,325 this is much less than the local cemetery at Danescourt.
The exclusive rights for a private plot at Danescourt costs £1,980, interment fees are £1,040 (total £3,020). For a non-resident of Wolverhampton a 50% surcharge is added, making the total £4,530. A memorial permit for a headstone adds £150.
There is a natural burial area at Bushbury, plots here are charged at £1,010 (add 50% surcharge for non-resident), the interment fee of £690 makes the total cost £1,700.
You can purchase a plot in advance, however an additional £150 is added for this. No charge is made by The Natural Burial Company for choosing and purchasing a plot in advance.
Loughborough
Prestwold Natural Burial Ground near Loughborough was one of the very first natural burial grounds in the midlands, opening in 1999. As such there are many areas and options available. However, the vast majority of plots are priced as Scraptoft, £750 for the grave and £435 interment fees (total £1,185).
For a standard burial the local Loughborough cemetery charges £740 for a traditional grave and £498 interment (total £1,238). A lawn grave option is available for a total for a Loughborough resident of £1,065. Once the memorial permit cost (£158) is added, this then totals £1,223. The memorial permit charge is also applicable for traditional graves.
As with many other cemetery authorities though, Loughborough charge additional costs for non-residents of the town. A resident of Charnwood would need to pay double fees and one who resides outside of Charnwood would pay triple. There is also no option at present to purchase plots in advance.
We provide this information to help you to make informed choices. In a world where funeral poverty is real and value for money is so important for all, we believe that it is only fair that the public are aware of the options available. Everyone can make a real difference to the environment and leave a beautiful, natural legacy for future generations whilst saving money.
Note: All prices sourced from the relevant local authority websites on 9th June 2020. We will gladly amend any pricing above if notified of change.
