By law, deaths in the UK must be certified and registered and the body must be either buried or cremated. This can be arranged with or without the help of a funeral director.
Before arranging a funeral check the deceaseds will or any other written instructions for any special wishes. The executor legally does not have to follow the instructions left in the will,
If there are no clear wishes the next of kin will make the decisions for the funeral.
The cost of a burial may be much higher than the cost of cremation, if a new grave is needed. There are also the additional costs of:
- interment
- memorial
- future maintenance of the grave site
The person making the application for the new grave will be named on the Deed and all relevant cemetery records.
They will also be required to agree to the terms and conditions which will be explained prior to purchasing the Right of Burial.
If a grave has already been purchased the Deed, or other documents that show proof of ownership, must be shown.
Only the owner may authorise:
- a burial in the grave
- make an application to place a memorial
Service/chapel
The crematorium offers two chapels, South chapel, which can accommodate approximately 44 seated, and West chapel, which can accommodate approximately 100 seated which are wheelchair accessible.
Both chapels are multi-denominational and can be used for non-Christian and Secular services. Symbols may be displayed or removed according to the persuasion of the bereaved.
The decor in both chapels is designed to create a comforting surrounding as friends and family join together in remembering and celebrating the life of a loved one.
There are toilets which can be accessed through the memorial chapel which is wheelchair accessible.
There are two small waiting rooms available.
Music and tribute
Music often holds special memories, and both our chapels are equipped with a Obitus music system, in addition there is an electronic organ in the south chapel and a pipe organ in the west chapel to accommodate your needs. The Obitus music system gives access to a vast library of hymns and recorded music which can be viewed online.
The system offers the opportunity, at an additional cost, to record services onto CD or DVD and for those family members who are unable to attend the service in person the system can be used to broadcast the service live via webcast.
Arranging a funeral yourself
To make a booking for a funeral, please contact the Bereavement team.
This ensures that a provisional date and time is reserved for the funeral.
Please note: if the death is reported to the coroner it can often take more than 7 days before a cremation service can take place.
This is also the case when deaths occur at weekends and public holidays.
Organising the service
- the chapels can be used for religious and non-religious services
- you must tell the office how you want to organise your service
- if you choose, you can play music, read poetry and use musicians during the service
Our cremation services take place every weekday (Mon to Fri) in 40 minute intervals between 9:40am and 4:00pm.
You should plan a service of no more than 20 minutes so there is enough time for mourners to enter and exit the chapel.
We ask that the chapel is cleared within 25 minutes so that it is ready for the next service.
If you would like to book a longer service or if there are a lot of mourners expected, you can book extra time.
Burial
- if a new grave is needed our staff will explain the terms and conditions that must be agreed before buying the Right of Burial
- if there is an existing family grave, the recorded owner of the Right of Burial has to approve another burial
- you will need to show the deed or other documentation that shows proof of ownership
- cemetery records will then be checked to confirm the ownership and establish burial space
The information you will need to book a burial is:
- the date and time of proposed burial
- whether a chapel is needed (subject to availability)
- whether the burial is to take place in a new or existing grave
- name of the person who has died
- your name and contact telephone number
Once you have made a provisional booking you will be able to collect the forms you need from the crematorium office within 24 hours.
Please contact us if you have any queries.