Hundy Mundy

A gentle alternative

Unhurried, tranquil, and private, the burial ground offers a gentle alternative to a traditional cemetery or crematorium. There is space and time to create your own bespoke ceremony within the ethos of the natural burial ground.

Professional funeral directors are there to support you and help you achieve what you want to do. A good funeral director will provide the help and support you need when you need it. If you wish to do as much as you can yourselves, there is no legal requirement in the UK to use a funeral director.

Both family-organised funerals and professional services are welcome at Hundy Mundy natural burial ground.

Coffins and embalming

Coffins should be made from and lined with natural, biodegradable materials. No plastics, MDF or chipboard should be used. Please click here for a guide on biodegradable coffins, shrouds and urns.

We can’t accept embalmed bodies for burial unless there are exceptional circumstances. Cremated remains contain no residue from embalming chemicals and can therefore be interred in the woodland.

Plots

You can choose a plot for a natural burial, or find a place in the woodland to inter.

The plots are laid out in a grid pattern and we record the location and measurements from survey points. We provide these, a what3words location and coordinates so you can find and share the location. Read more about finding the spot.

Double plots

Burial and interment plots are single-depth, and double-plots are side-by-side.

In woodland areas, developing tree roots and canopy prevent new graves from being dug next to older ones, but we will offer the closest possible arrangement when the time comes.

Alternatively, cremated remains can be included in a coffin burial or combined in one ashes plot at the time of interment. You can find the form for combined ashes on the forms and prices page.

Memorials at Hundy Mundy

Previously, we allowed families to place memorial stones at the head of the grave, and as you walk around Hundy Mundy, you will see memorial stones around the woodland.

We no longer offer this option, as it has created maintenance and grave digging problems for our team. Trying to navigate the heavy machinery between the stones is very difficult and we do not want to risk damaging these important and special memorials. Instead, we now offer families the option to dedicate a slate memorial plaque in our memorial panel, or they can dedicate a tree plaque.

Dedicate a slate memorial plaque

It’s important to commemorate the names of the dead and when they lived.

The natural burial ground will remain as a natural environment, the way you see it now. Unlike a conventional cemetery, there will not be rows of memorial stones, benches, vases of flowers or mementos, which would alter the special natural quality of the woodland. Instead, you can dedicate a slate plaque within the memorial panel at the burial ground.

Memorial Rights

The memorial rights are granted for the display of a memorial plaque in the frame. Rights last for a period of 25 years after which they are renewable. The renewal of memorial rights in the future will provide an important contribution to the upkeep of the frame and other maintenance at the burial ground after income from the sale of rights of burial has ceased.

Dedicate a tree plaque

The woodland at Hundy Mundy is an important landscape feature and frames the ridgetop folly. As part of the long-term management of the burial ground, we are replacing aged and fallen trees with new specimens. These have been planted and guarded by tree tubes and bespoke timber surrounds to protect the young trees from wildlife and give them the best start in life.

If you would like to mount a plaque to dedicate the tree to the memory of someone, there is space for two slate plaques on each face of the wooden cage. The plaques will be displayed for an initial period of 10 years (due to the projected lifespan of the materials).

After 10 years, the cages will be removed as the tree should be well established by then; you will have the option to order a slate plaque to be placed within the memorial frame.

Dedicate a memorial

If you would like to dedicate a memorial plaque or a tree plaque to someone who has died, you can visit our forms and prices page to view the prices and access the forms. We also have an online application form you can complete.