Natural Burial in London
GreenAcres Chiltern Park
Natural burials (also known as eco funerals or green burials) take place in a woodland, meadow, or nature reserve rather than a traditional cemetery. They are beautiful, peaceful places, all with a unique character and setting.
People choose natural burials for a variety of reasons:
· They want to make an eco-friendly choice. Green burials are arguably the most environmentally friendly choice, and most sites only permit caskets and shrouds made of natural materials (wicker, cardboard, wool, unvarnished wood, etc)
· Natural burials are generally less expensive than traditional burial in a cemetery. They are also not restricted by which borough you live in – everyone pays the same fee unlike council-owned cemeteries.
· For a more peaceful, calm, and gentle experience. Being in a natural environment can lower levels of stress and anxiety. If children are attending this can especially make a huge difference to their early experiences of funerals.
· Visiting a grave at a natural burial ground is a very different experience to visiting a cemetery – it could be going for a walk through woodlands or having a picnic next to a lake.
· It is more eco friendly than cremation (which emits harmful gases)
· To have a tree planted on the grave is a beautiful way to contribute to the future of the environment and will not need maintenance like a headstone.
· Cemeteries in the city can feel crowded and this will only increase as space runs out. At a natural burial location there are no headstones to crowd the landscape, a whole orchard or forest can feel like the memorial to your loved one.
Natural burial might not be the right choice for you if:
· You want a permanent headstone to mark the grave. Some natural burial sites allow small, eco friendly grave markers (usually made out of wood) but some do not allow any kind of memorial at all.
· You want future generations to be easily able to find the burial plot. Although burial locations are recorded by the site, there will be some map reading involved if you don’t know exactly where it is. Finding an eco burial plot is not as easy to find as being able to read a headstone.
· You want your loved one buried as close as possible to where you live.
· Your choice of casket contains plastic or synthetic materials.
· You wish for the person being buried to be embalmed – this is forbidden for all natural burial grounds.
· An eco funeral isn’t right for you – you feel more comfortable with something traditional.
The question we get asked most often is ‘can I have a natural burial in London?’ Most natural burial sites are in rural locations and require a car to access. However, there are some beautiful sites you can visit by public transport and still feel like you are miles away from the city. They are smaller than a rural natural burial ground, and we always recommend visiting multiple places before making a decision.
10 minute walk from Whitton Station
Despite being in an urban area, the natural burial section is set far back from the main road to create an atmosphere of tranquillity. Trees and shrubs will continue to be planted throughout the years to encourage biodiversity.
Islington and St Pancras Cemetery
15 minute walk from East Finchley station
Small wooden grave markers are allowed in this special area of the 190 acre cemetery. Coldfall Wood is next door, and flora and fauna has been allowed to grow freely in the older parts of the cemetery. Deer have even been spotted walking through some areas.
10 minute walk from Manor Park Station
The natural burial area is located in a private corner of this grand and historical cemetery. Although there are other traditional headstones throughout, it’s one of London’s greener cemeteries with 200 acres filled with gardens, ponds, and woodland among the memorials.
35-45 minute train from Waterloo
A short train journey from Waterloo, the tranquil and open Brookwood cemetery is directly next to Brookwood station. Natural burials take place in ‘Gillian’s Meadow’ which is surrounded by beautiful woodland.
GreenAcres Chiltern Park, Beaconsfield
30 minutes from much of West London
If you are able to drive, GreenAcres Chiltern Park is a short 30 minute drive from much of West London, and offers a huge range of burial options. They also have a beautiful woodland hall to hold the service in, where you can often see deer and other wildlife walk past the windows during the service. Bespoke wooden memorials can be commissioned from their wood carvers to mark the grave, and they have memorial events throughout the year.
Clandon Wood
45 minutes drive from West London
Meadows, wetlands, lakes and new woodland surrounds a modern, elegant glass pavilion where the service can be held.. Like GreenAcres, it’s perfectly set up for large and small funeral services, with ample parking and beautiful facilities. What makes this venue particularly unique is the option to have a horse drawn cart take the casket to the graveside.
Sheepdrove Natural Burial Wood
Sheepdrove Organic Farm, Hungerford
90 minutes drive from London
The further you travel outside London, the more natural and serene the natural burial grounds become. The perfect example of this is Sheepdrove, The natural burial wood is surrounded by the two thousand acres of green pastures, wildflower meadows, ancient woodland and fields of heritage grains – all managed by Sheepdrove Organic Farm. They have on-site accommodation, stunning event spaces, and every part of the site is run with the highest ecological credentials.
You can find a full list of natural burial sites on The Natural Death Centre Website, or come in and talk to us about eco funeral options.
You can also contact us with any questions.