Christmas and New Year celebrations keep us going for a bit longer and if you can’t make it through January there’s always Burns night.
So the seasons change and we associate various events with each one. Funerals in the winter can involve the weather at its most elemental. Crisp, frosty mornings, stormy skies, autumn colour, mist draped over the landscape. But if you’re wrapped up warm and have a cosy room and a log fire to gather around after the event…. One of the healing effects of going back to visit and remember someone at a natural burial ground are these changes of season and the accompanying weather. Life and nature move unstoppably forwards.
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The concept behind Natural Burial is one of giving back to nature. The body is returned to the earth,
clad in only natural, biodegradable materials, without toxic preservative treatment and at shallower depth, to encourage transformation by nature in the living layer of the soil. 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. Many of us can relate to the idea of being returned to the earth when we die – a bit of gentle recycling. Others are inspired by a reaction to what they don’t want – the industrialisation of death, a religious service, or a formal set piece ceremony. Most like the idea that they will not burden the next generation with a grave to tend. The simplicity and ‘no-fuss’ surrounding natural burial appeals too. Natural burial grounds offer an informal setting with more time, more space and more meaning; they are growing in popularity as more people experience this alternative. All grave locations are plotted and recorded, but the ‘eco-friendly’ stance of natural burial grounds varies widely. Some allow memorials on the graves, benches and vases; they accept embalmed bodies, plastic-lined and chipboard coffins. Others are dedicated to preserving the landscape and maintaining a sustainable future for the land after the income from burials comes to an end – and may adopt a genuinely environmentally responsible approach. Although the number of natural burial grounds is increasing every year, the closest might be further away than your local cemetery, so think about whether the distance of getting there and back is important to you. For many, the knowledge that the land management takes care of the grave and that person buried there would appreciate being there means fewer visits are made. If you like the idea of natural burial, why not call a few operators and visit them ahead of time – perhaps at different times of the year to see what they feel like through the seasons. Then you can be sure of finding a site to suit you and your family. Helpful tip
environmentally sustainable plan for the future.
 Considering there are around 4,000 cemeteries across the UK (York University), we are extremely proud to announce that our Cardiff and Henley Natural Burial Grounds were both nominated for 'Cemetery of the Year' at this year's Good Funeral Awards.
Our Henley Burial Woodland went on to win the award, which we are delighted to announce too. Together with Paula Rainey Croft's 'Lifetime Achievement Award', we believe the results are indicative of the British public's more discerning funeral preferences. See our two nominated burial grounds here: www.cardiffnaturalburials.co.uk www.henleynaturalburials.co.uk
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Company
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The Essentials
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Useful links
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Leedam Natural Heritage
The Market Tavern 26 Agincourt Square Monmouth NP25 3BT 01600 716438
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© Leedam Natural Heritage, a trading name of Native Woodland Ltd a company registered in Scotland No. SC240278