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Hackpen Natural Burials

Winter reflections

Posted on February 27, 2023

After 2 years and more than 20 burials it seems a good time to look back on what we have learned along the way…….

Many people have never attended a natural burial, and we often hear of their surprise when they discover how calm, beautiful and appropriate it feels. An important part of this is the amount of choice that we can offer families, to make a ceremony their own and to take all the time they want to say goodbye.

We have had services held by vicars and celebrants, but often led by the family themselves; sharing their memories, love and gratitude for a life. We have no buildings but provide a canopy; sometimes it has been decorated with flowers from the family garden, and filled with music from a phone and speaker – it’s easy to do many beautiful things in simple ways.

We are aware that people can assume burial grounds are an expensive option, but this need not be the case. We want to keep our burials affordable at £750 and ashes interments at £250, so we suggest that better-off families can donate some funds towards future development if they wish – this might be used to provide visitors with a sheltered seat and compost toilet for example. Other families have simply scattered ashes while planting a tree, which costs only £100-200.

The environmental cost of natural burial is tiny compared with cremation, and we are adding native trees to the new woodland all the time; so far 32 memorial trees have been planted and there are over 400 young trees on the site. An engraved plaque made from welsh slate can be placed by the tree, but our graves are allowed to return completely to nature without stones or mementos. Such a simple and natural site is not for everyone, but for some, it is exactly what they are looking for.

People really value the care we offer at the time of a death, so we will keep doing that, always meeting families and helping them think through everything they need. Bereavement is a vulnerable time so we are glad that our growing experience now helps people to know they are in safe hands at a difficult time.

The burial ground is open for visitors every day of the year during daylight hours. We will post here to give advance notice if we are closed for a private family ceremony. Anyone is welcome to use the space for walking and quiet reflection, and dogs can come in on a lead.

Upcoming closures for private ceremonies: Tuesday 8th July; Thursday 10th July; Sunday 13th July; Friday 18th July

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