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.

We don’t offer funeral services, but both family-organised funerals and professional services are welcome.

Coffins and embalming

Coffins should be made from and lined with natural, biodegradable materials. No plastics, MDF or chipboard should be used.

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 meadow.

Plots

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

Graves are unmarked, but they are laid out in a grid pattern and we record the location and measurements from survey points. We provide these and other coordinates so you can easily share the location. If you struggle, we can flag the spot for you.

Read more about finding the spot

Double plots

Burial and interment plots are single-depth, and double-plots are side-by-side. You can reserve plots alongside each other, and even your pet.

Alternatively, cremated remains can be included in a coffin burial or combined in one ashes plot at the time of interment.

Memorials

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

The burial ground meadow 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 meadow.

Instead, you can dedicate Welsh slate memorial plaques inscribed with the name, year of birth and year of death are available in the Wild Cherry Scatter Area. We will also be offering oak memorial plaques in the memorial shelter once this has been constructed. ​

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.

Memorial Tree Planting

We can offer tree dedications and memorial tree planting with wildflower scatter around the edge of the burial meadow, which will help provide shade for the grazing animals and create homes for animals improving biodiversity and encouraging wildlife to visit.

These will be protected by wooden tree guards to prevent sheep from nibbling the trees and eating the flowers. Memorial plaques can be included on the tree guard which will be displayed for an initial period of ten years (due to the projected lifespan of the materials).

You will have the option to renew/extend the periods at the end of this term. If you would like to plant or dedicate please go to the forms and prices page and download a Tree For Life application form and send it to us.

Pets are welcome

Pets are an important part of our lives, they bring so much love and companionship. They are also there to comfort and help us when we are grieving. This is why we welcome pets at the Pembrokeshire natural burial ground and at funerals. In addition to pet-friendly funerals, we are registered to offer natural burials for pets, or we can include a pet’s ashes with your own natural burial. We also have a dog-friendly permissive walk for those who wish to use it. ​

Leaving flowers and mementoes

In order to conserve the natural habitat and protect bereaved families, graves must not be gardened and nothing should be placed or planted and no seeds should be scattered on the graves without consent from the Custodian, Sarah. She can advise on native species and a supplier.

Our aim is to keep everything as natural as possible to maintain and enhance the local biodiversity. Anything that appears without our consent will be removed. Please make sure that this is right for you before you commit to the burial ground. It will not suit everyone.

Wild Flowers

Native wildflower seeds may be scattered on the grave and the surrounding area after the burial. However, animals do graze within the field so please be aware these may be nibbled by our local woolly residents when they graze. We can let you know when we are intending to bring the sheep in, so you can decide if you would like to scatter wildflower seeds.

To ensure these are safe for our animals, we ask that you purchase these from us, or check with the custodian that you have a safe mix.

We may also be having special days where we invite families to come and scatter wildflower seeds with us. These events will be updated on our Facebook page so please feel to follow or like us to be kept up to date with any events that are happening.