We keep things simple, natural and beautiful. Our aim is to encourage more personal funeral services that have as little harmful effect on the environment as possible.
All of our burial grounds are set in idyllic countryside that families can return to when remembering loved ones. Whilst there, they’ll find themselves free from the burden of tending a grave, and instead, have the time, space and peace to connect with nature and the people they have lost.
What is a natural burial?
The concept behind natural burial is one of giving back to nature. The body is returned to the earth in a biodegradable coffin, wearing only natural materials as opposed to artificial fabrics, without toxic preservative treatment and at a shallower depth, to encourage transformation by nature in the living layer of the soil.
What is a natural burial ground?
Natural Burial Grounds vary greatly in style and approach. The common theme is they offer an area dedicated to Natural Burial. They range from grazed meadows to memorial gardens, from existing woodland to land now dedicated to becoming new woodland, from nature reserves within towns to wild, open country. Ideally, each should have a sustainable plan for the long-term future.
What is a green funeral?
One person’s idea of a ‘green funeral’ may be very different to another person’s, but essentially it is to have a burial with as little impact on the environment as possible. The ‘DIY’ funeral is now a realistic alternative for some which can include collecting a loved one from a hospital in the back of an estate car and burying them in a handmade shroud. On the other hand, it may simply be the idea of returning to the Earth as a bit of gentle recycling.
How it works
We recommend visiting the burial ground before you make any decisions, and please contact us with any questions you have, we’re here to help. All forms and prices can be found on the relevant location page of each burial ground, alternatively, call us on 01600 716438 or email hello@leedam.co.uk and we’ll send you an information pack through the post.
Forms and prices
Fill in an application form or ask your funeral director to do it for you and send it to us with relevant payment (this can be one payment, or in the case of a pre-purchase, a deposit followed by a monthly standing order spread over 10 or 20 months).
The application form contains plot prices, provides us with information about who the plot is for and asks for contact details. If you need to use the plot straight away you will also need to fill in and send an interment form, this asks for the information we need in order to have the grave prepared on the day of a funeral.
Keep things natural
The body should be clothed or wrapped in natural fabrics (such as cotton, wool, linen, silk, leather, etc.) and the coffin, if one is used, is made using natural materials, ideally from local sustainable sources, so that all will biodegrade naturally in the grave.
The flowers should be sourced from a sustainable florist and no plastics or oasis should be used in the arrangement if it is being interred with the coffin or left at the burial ground.
Gravedigging
All grave digging is done by our appointed grave diggers, who are experienced in what they do and are responsible for leaving the burial ground looking as close to how they found it as possible. Another reason for using appointed grave diggers is to ensure the ground is left safe for visitors. Ahead of the funeral, tell us the coffin or urn size and we will arrange the grave-digging.
Make it personal
The burial ground will be entirely yours during your service, take as much time as you need and make it as personal as you like. In the past, people have said goodbye with only the nearest and dearest present, others with a whole assemblage; some like silence, while you may prefer music from a live band. Our custodian will be on hand to help. We are experienced people who understand that not every funeral is the same and will endeavour to help with any requests you may have.
The day is to remember the person you are burying and so we encourage you to make it special.
Visiting
Family and friends are welcome to visit at any time during the year. If you have any trouble entering the burial ground please call our Monmouth office on 01600 716438, or call the custodian – their details can be found on each burial grounds’ Location page.
Finding the spot
There are usually no markers on the ground to indicate the position of the grave. We have all of the burial grounds mapped out digitally and use permanent ground markers to provide accurate measurements to each of the graves.
We provide a what3words (W3W) address of the grave, as well as the GPS coordinates. For example, our W3W office address is sweetened.retire.hours (which is much easier to remember than the GPS coordinates 51.812633, -2.7152923)
what3words is a really simple way to talk about location. They have divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and assigned each one a unique 3-word address.
It means anyone can accurately find any location and share it more quickly, easily and with less ambiguity than any other system. The service can be used via the free mobile app (available here on the App Store, and on Google Play) or online map.
