Natural Burial in London
GreenAcres Woodland Burial 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.
What is a natural burial?
A natural burial is simply a burial in a natural environment, without anything artificial or chemical that may change the natural process of the body breaking down and returning to the earth. You may also hear natural burials called ‘eco burials’ , ‘green burials’ , ‘woodland burials’ or ‘eco-friendly burials.’
What is a natural burial ground?
A natural burial ground is of course a place where people are buried, but what makes it different to a traditional cemetery is that the burial ground is managed to create a rich and diverse habitat for flora, fauna, and wildlife to flourish. After the burial ground is full, it will be sustainably looked after in the long-term to continue to provide this environment. This is often mentioned in the natural burial ground’s prices - a Trust contribution or ‘future maintenance fund.’
How much does natural burial cost?
This varies considerably based on where the green burial takes place, and who owns the burial ground. Some are privately owned, some are council owned, and some have greater running costs of the land and facilities. In our experience they are significantly less expensive than a traditional burial though, and you don’t have to factor in the cost of a headstone.
Why choose a natural burial?
· 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.
Why A Natural Burial Might Not Be The Right Choice
· You want a permanent headstone to mark the grave. Some natural burial sites allow small, eco-friendly grave markers (usually made 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.
Can I be buried in a coffin at a green burial site?
You can be buried in anything biodegradable at a natural burial site. This might be a coffin or casket, or a shroud. Biodegradable materials include wood, willow, wicker, wool, bamboo, or banana leaf. See some of these options here.
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. We always recommend visiting multiple places before deciding.
Twickenham Cemetery green burial section
Twickenham Cemetery Natural Burials
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.
The natural burial section at Islington and St Pancras Cemetery
Islington and St Pancras Cemetery Burials
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.
The City of London Cemetery natural burial area
The City of London Cemetery Natural Burials
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.
Some of the beautiful grounds at Brookwood Cemetery
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.
The natural burial woodland at GreenAcres Chiltern Park
GreenAcres Woodland Burial 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 Natural Burial Ground
Clandon Wood Natural Burial Ground, Surrey
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.
Leedham, Henley-On-Thames with slate plaque memorials
50 minutes drive from West London
One of the newer natural burial grounds in the area, it is a 10 minute drive from Henley-On-Thames itself, and is a place of complete tranquility and quiet away from any road noise. The beautiful thing about choosing a new burial ground is that you will be able to see it grow and develop over the years as you visit. There are two solid chestnut-framed memorial panels where slate plaques are mounted. You have the option of purchasing a plaque to be inscribed with the name, year of birth and year of death of the person buried there. It is one of the only natural burial grounds where you can have a permanent memorial like this.
The gate to leading to Sheepdrove Natural Burial Ground
Sheepdrove Natural Burial Ground, 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 natural burial ground. 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.
The Natural Death Centre & Association of Natural Burial Grounds.
You can find a full list of natural burial sites on The Natural Death Centre Website, and we are very proud to be one of their recommended funeral directors. It’s also an amazing resource to find out more about UK green burial sites, woodlands funerals, and privately run natural burial grounds. They also set up The Association of Natural Burial Grounds which has the highest possible credentials to grant any eco-friendly and green burial grounds membership. They are a pioneering organisation in the world of natural burials and eco funerals and we highly recommend you read some of the information on their website.
You can also contact us with any questions about natural funerals in London and the UK.