At the time of making arrangements for the funeral, it is not always easy to realise the emotional benefit that is gained after the funeral by having somewhere to go, a place that you and your family can go back to, knowing that a loved one is there.

It has only recently been acknowledged that simply having a relatives cremated remains scattered or buried in a garden of remembrance, does not assist the healing process after the funeral. Today most cemeteries and crematoriums that are administered by local councils offer the facility of small graves that can be purchased solely for cremated remains. These “cremated remains” graves can be visited by your family allowing you to pay your respects and mark the grave with a headstone or temporary wooden marker. The options for the final resting place for your loved ones cremated remains are endless, from strewing them at a favourite beauty spot to launching them into space, we have had experience of them all.

If however your wishes are to retain the remains until a spouse passes away, this is also possible, by leaving them in our dedicated chapel of rest called the “Ivy Chapel”, you may if you wish visit the remains on a regular basis or on birthdays or anniversaries, we make a nominal charge for this service.

Consideration needs to be given to various things when deciding on a final resting place for ashes, and it is worth asking yourself these questions to help you make the right decision.

• Is there a grave of any other family member that I wish to use?
• Do I want the ashes to be near to where the person lived?
• Do I want them in a cemetery or burial ground?
• Do I wish them to be buried or scattered?
• Will I want a memorial to visit in the future?
• How far will I want to travel to visit a grave?
• Do I want to visit a grave?

We can help you to arrange whatever you feel is right, and you should not feel under any pressure from us to rush into making a decision. There are quite a few ways that ashes can be laid to rest, some suggestions are listed here.

• Buried in a new ashes grave.
• Buried in an existing ashes grave with another family member.
• Buried in an existing full size grave.
• Scattered at a crematorium.
• Scattered in a Churchyard/cemetery. (Where allowed)
• Buried at a Natural Burial Ground/Green cemetery.
• Scattered, or buried, personally by the family in a special garden or location.
• Buried at sea.

For anyone who wants a more unusual memorial, small amounts of ash can now be turned into diamonds and then set into jewellery. Also garden furniture, ornaments and keepsakes are available which can contain an amount of ash.

Should you wish us to get involved in scattering ashes in a special location we would need to have the permission of the authority controlling the land in question. (Scattering ashes in places such as a football ground, cricket pitch, golf course or other public area may well be possible but we would rely on you to arrange the permission. We would not be prepared to be involved without seeing a written agreement first.)