Cremation or burial

Cremation will only take place at a crematorium and these are easy to find on our map. Just enter the town or postcode and how far away you are willing to travel and the choices will appear with contact details.

It is tempting to arrange the funeral at the nearest crematorium, or one that you may have been to before, but you can go to any crematorium. 

Points to consider

• Distance that mourners will have to travel and how easy it is to find the crematorium and park there
• Consider how mourners will get to the location of any gathering/wake afterwards
• Dates and times available – some crematoria hold funeral ceremonies on Saturdays and Sundays and some start and finish later in the day than others. It is worth asking for details.
• Length of time for the funeral service – this varies considerably. It is often possible to book double the time (at an additional fee) at the crematorium if required
• Some crematoria have waiting rooms and areas where tea and coffee is available, it is worth finding out what is available for those attending the funeral who have had long journeys

It is also common for a religious funeral service to take place in a church or other religious building followed by a ‘committal’ or ‘farewell’ at a crematorium, which only close family members usually attend.

You can visit a crematorium just by calling them and making an appointment. The crematorium staff are all highly professional and friendly, and will be only too pleased to show you around and answer all your questions fully.

It is important to consider whether the crematorium you have found is the right place for the funeral you are planning. If not, keep looking.

Burials can be held in cemeteries, churchyards and natural burial sites.

Many cemeteries in the UK are full and no new plots are available, so these are not listed as funeral options on the funeralmap. However, it is often the case in a closed cemetery that, where a plot is owned, it may be added to, or might be available for interring (burying) ashes. Your funeral director will have details of these sites.

There are nearly 300 natural burial sites now across the UK and you can find them all on funeralmap. These sites are becoming increasingly popular, and any type of ceremony can be held – be it religious, civil or humanist. Give the site a call to arrange a visit to see if the site is what you are looking for.

One thing that you do need to check is whether the natural burial site you are looking at allows full burials – some sites are just for ashes.