many factors will affect your decision to bury or cremate; religious considerations, the wishes of the deceased, family traditions etc. You can rely on us to advise and assist you in making this difficult decision and to then take care of all the arrangements. Moreover, the lack of a will or written note of a deceased person’s wishes, might make such advice invaluable.

In deciding between burial and cremation, you should bear the following points in mind.

• Burials are generally more expensive than cremations unless your family already possesses a grave with unused space in a cemetery, or you are an active member of a church with space for new interments. Cost can be especially relevant if the interment is to take place outside the deceased’s town or parish.
• We can arrange to re-open existing graves, including removal and replacement of any existing memorials.
• It can be prudent to buy additional graves in cemeteries to allow family members to be buried in proximity, and to protect against future price inflation.
• Many cemeteries have chapels or rooms that are suitable for a funeral service.
• There are a growing number of woodland burial sites available.
• Church services usually take approximately forty minutes. Crematoria usually allow 30 minutes for a funeral service although additional time can be purchased if desired.
• A church service to include a ‘lychgate’ committal, followed by a cremation with little or no family attendance can be helpful where the crematorium is distant, or where many of the mourners are elderly.
• The cremated remains will need a final resting place. They can be placed in an urn and kept, scattered, or interred at the crematorium. Many churches and cemeteries also have memorial gardens for cremated remains. Whilst you decide we will keep them for you at no additional cost.
• You will need to choose a coffin. We have a comprehensive range of solid and veneered timber coffins and caskets, as well as ‘green’ coffins using renewable materials.