Burials
Woodland and Natural burial
With more than 200 sites in the UK, woodland and natural burial grounds have become ever more popular. Some smaller sites are less than an acre in size. Churches own some sites, local authorities and private landowners the rest. Typically, farmers turn over a field or two to woodland burials, and contract out the running to a local funeral director and forester.
Woodland Burial Parks offer a natural and more meaningful alternative to traditional burial and cremation options. Often set in mature woodlands, they are home to a broad variety of wildlife and plants, reinforcing the concept of the renewal of life.
Some people prefer the idea of being buried in an established wood, but most prefer an ordinary field that will one day develop into a wild meadow or new woodland. Many sites insist on cardboard coffins but most allow a wide range of types of funeral. The costs of a plot range from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds.
Burial at Sea
Burial at sea is a longstanding tradition for those whose lives have been based round the sea such as sailors or mariners. The process takes a little more organising than a standard funeral, as you need to require authority from the Ministry under FEPA 1985. Boats such as the Britannia depart from the South Coast. Please contact us for more advice.
Burial on Private land
It is not common in the UK to bury a body on private land; however there is no law prohibiting it as long as permission is granted by the landowner.
The burial site must:
- be at least 250 metres away from any well, borehole or spring that supplies water for human consumption or is to be used in farm dairies.
- at least 30 metres from any other spring or water course.
- be at least 10 metres from any field drain (draining to a water course).
- have at least one metre of subsoil below the bottom of the burial cavity, allowing a hole deep enough for at least one metre of soil to cover the burial.
