Natural memorials close to the heart and home

For many having a memorial is an important part of remembering someone special. It’s a place that you can visit and take a moment to remember and reflect. We offer simple natural memorials at our natural burial grounds and you can read a bit more about these here. However, we know that sometimes families like to have something a bit closer to home.

UK Memorials have very kindly written a blog for us about natural memorials. Something that families may wish to use for their own personal memorials away from the natural burial ground.

UK Memorials – Who we are

Hi, as you may have guessed from the title we are UK Memorials, a company that makes memorial plaques. We are an online business based in the rural location of North Devon, on an old farm style property. Leedam Natural Heritage has very kindly asked us to write a blog to introduce ourselves and share some information about us.

Who are we?

As mentioned we are an online company that makes bespoke, high-quality memorials. We are a family run business with what we like to call a few ‘extended’ family members. We have been running now for just shy of 20 years, having a partner company called The Sign Maker. Nestled away in the North Devon countryside on an old farm we have converted barns into offices and workshop spaces. It is here that our team of expertly trained craftsmen set about making the memorials and signs. We have carpenters, stonemasons, vinyl applicators and engraving technicians. Then on the office side, we have designers and our lovely admin team on hand to help with all enquiries. We have a passion for the environment! On our site, we take part in lots of eco-friendly projects including erecting a wind turbine and wildlife meadows. We also have our own bees which is why our logo includes bees!

What do we make?

We make a large range of memorials in lots of different materials. However, if you are reading this blog we know the value you all have in natural burials. Therefore today we will be discussing our natural memorials with you. One material used in natural burials is timber (or natural wood) of which we have a few to share with you.

Oak

Oak is a traditional timber with a beautiful grain running through it. It is a very hard, heavy and durable timber which makes it an excellent choice for natural memorials. As with all timbers, it is important to maintain them. Here at The Sign Maker, we use either Satin Varnish or Devon Oil. These are free from chemicals and environmentally friendly.

Iroko

Iroko is another excellent choice, it is deeper in colour and again has a beautiful grain. Its colour can vary from a pale golden brown to a dark chocolate brown. It is a very stable, hardwood that is naturally very oily which helps to preserve the timber for longer. Iroko is naturally oily so you will need to treat it with oil over varnish.

Balau

Our final timber to share with you today is Balau, a timber which is not as well known but excellent for memorials. It is a hard, dense and heavy timber filled with its own natural oil. This timber has a very similar appearance to teak in colour. It varies from yellow-brown to brown in colour. Again because the timber is naturally oily we only treat it with oil.

The Types of Memorials

The main types of memorials that we sell for people who prefer natural options like natural burial are our wooden memorial plaques. These are on a wooden post with wooden dowels for fixing or our wooden lawn memorials. We also offer wooden ash caskets with no metal.

What makes us unique here at UK Memorials is that we can make the memorial the way you want it, from size to style. Our onsite designer and admin team are on hand to help to discuss your requirements and create a design that is perfect. With hundreds of fonts and thousands of images to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Stone Memorials

Stone memorials are another natural option that you may wish to use for a personal memorial. You can source local stone like welsh slate. Usually, we blast letters for natural memorials and leave them unpainted but it can be a popular choice if allowed. Here at UK Memorials, we have talented stonemasons on hand to help produce beautiful stone memorials. We have the options of slate or granite.