FAQs

What is BURIAL COST at Herongate Wood?

A typical funeral has a single burial plot (£650), grave preparation (£300), a standard bamboo coffin with nameplate (£345) and our professional fees (£400). The only additional cost is the collection of the deceased, which is dependant upon where the person is resting; distance is no problem. This makes a total of £1695, plus collection costs.

Our professional fees include making all the arrangements with the family and caring for the deceased in our Chapel of Rest until the day of the funeral, when the deceased is placed in our on-site Hall of Remembrance at Herongate Wood for the service and committal. We also provide the pall-bearers.

This is our basic service but most families choose to have an Officiant to lead a religious or non-religious funeral service (The Officiant normally costs £160). Most families also request a granite grave marker plaque (£400). You will note that the family and friends normally travel in their own cars and no hearse is needed as the loved one is already at Herongate Wood. We can provide alternatives at additional cost.

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What happens at a typical BURIAL and Funeral at Herongate Wood?

When a loved one passes, we arrange for them to be collected and kept safe in our Chapel of Rest until the day of the funeral. We will work with you to sort out the funeral details; you remain in control. Some families choose to have the service at a place of worship and then have the burial at Herongate Wood. We can arrange this.

Our funeral service at Herongate Wood is gentle and unhurried; it is child-friendly. On the day of the funeral, the family members usually make their own way to Herongate Wood. As their loved one is already in our Chapel of Rest there, a hearse is not necessary. This avoids that ‘rushed’ feeling sometimes caused by traditional Funeral Directors needing their vehicles and staff for the next funeral.

Usually, the closed coffin is placed in our Hall of Remembrance an hour before the funeral, allowing the family plenty of time to personalise it with flowers, candles, photographs etc. before the service. The Hall doors are usually kept shut but unlocked, giving close family and friends the opportunity of saying their final, private ‘Goodbyes’. Some families request an open coffin for a short period before the service and we can arrange this.

During this ‘pre-funeral’ gathering, family and friends greet each other and exchange news, particularly those who meet only occasionally; the pleasure of meeting, mixed with the sadness of loss. It is usual to have an Officiant (Minister, Humanist or some other person chosen by the family) conduct the funeral in our Hall of Remembrance at Herongate Wood, to celebrate the life of the person who has passed on, although some families prefer to have us arrange the service at a place of worship elsewhere with the interment at Herongate Wood.

At the time chosen for the funeral, the family and friends gather in the Hall. There are 60 chairs and room for an additional 50 or so attendees to stand at the back of the Hall. If the weather is sunny, you have the option of the having the service outside, near the pond,where we have recently installed a paved terrace for this purpose. After the service, the coffin is placed on the external bier and hand-drawn to the burial place. The congregation follows and a short service of committal takes place.

After the committal, our staff withdraws, leaving the family to spend as much time as they like at the graveside. There is no hurry and the family often spends 15-30 minutes before making their way back to their cars. The grave is then completed and the electronic locator is placed. The groundsmen arrange the floral tributes on the grave. It is usual to have the grave plaque prepared with a personally-worded message, a week or two after the funeral has taken place.

After every funeral, we give families a feed-back form to complete, when they go home. This allows them to share their views and specifically asks where we could have done things better so that our high standards are maintained and continuously improved.

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What is the CREMATION COST of a Herongate Wood Funeral?

Our standard cremation cost is £990, plus the Crematoria costs and Doctors' Fees, together estimated at £597, a total of £1587. To this must be added the collection of the loved one. Families usually prefer the cardboard coffin as we provide a handsome Oak Veneer cover that is used for viewing and the funeral service, being discreetly removed 'behind the scenes' at the Crematorium. Only the cardboard coffin is cremated and the cover is reused, thus avoiding unnecessary waste. We would mention that this system is limited to those up to 6ft 2ins tallos average build. The cardboard coffin costs £215 but the family is free to select any other coffin. We can make all the arrangements for the family and friends to view their loved one.

The standard cremation cost includes our professional fees for making all the funeral arrangements, caring for the deceased in our Chapel of Rest and use of our Hall of Remembrance for the Funeral Service. It also includes our taking the deceased to the local Crematorium and collecting the ashes, ready for subsequent interment. We provide the pall-bearers.

Please note, we normally use a traditional hearse for this final journey to the Crematorium.

One criticism often leveled at crematoria is the strict timetable to which they must operate, leaving families feeling they have been ‘rushed’. This is something we have tried to address by offering to have the funeral service at Herongate Wood. There is no limit on the length of the service or the foregathering of family and friends before the service.

Some families prefer to have the Funeral Service at a place of worship or at the Crematorium and we can arrange this.

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What happens at a typical CREMATION FUNERAL at Herongate Wood?

When a loved one passes, we arrange for them to be collected and kept safe in our Chapel of Rest until the day of the funeral. We will work with you to sort out the funeral details; you remain in control. Families usually request that the Funeral Service be held in our Hall of Remembrance at Herongate Wood; there is no limit on the length of the service or the foregathering of family and friends before the service. Our funeral service at Herongate Wood is gentle and unhurried; it is child-friendly.

Assuming the funeral is to be held at the Herongate Wood Hall of Remembrance, the family usually make their own way there.

In our typical funeral, the closed coffin is placed in our Hall of Remembrance at least an hour before the funeral, allowing the family plenty of time to personalise it with flowers, candles, photographs etc. before the service. The Hall doors are usually kept shut but unlocked, giving family and friends the opportunity of saying their final, private ‘Goodbyes’. During this pre-funeral gathering, they greet each other and exchange news, particularly those who meet only occasionally; the pleasure of meeting, mixed with the sadness of loss. We can arrange for the coffin to be open for viewing for a time before the funeral service.

It is usual to have the Officiant (Minister, Humanist or some other person chosen by the family) conduct the funeral in our Hall of Remembrance at Herongate Wood to celebrate the life of the person who has passed on.

At the time agreed for the Service, the family and friends gather in the Hall. There are 60 chairs and the rest of the friends stand at the back of the Hall. If the weather is sunny, you have the option of having the service on the paved terrace, near the pond. After the service, the words of committal are spoken by the Officiant and the coffin is gently placed in the hearse and taken, by our staff, for cremation. The family does not usually go to the crematorium and is immediately free to attend the reception that normally follows a funeral service.

Before the coffin is taken for cremation, the Officiant will have agreed with the family what announcement will be made regarding the remainder of the ceremony ie burying the ashes at Herongate Wood or elsewhere. The details of this are discussed in the following two sections.

After every funeral, we give families a feed-back form to complete, when they go home. This allows them to share their views and specifically asks where we could have done things better so that our high standards are maintained and continuously improved.

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What is the ASHES BURIAL COST?

A family plot, holding up to four sets of ashes requires a full plot (£650), plus grave preparation (£200) for each set of ashes, plus our professional fees (£100), making £950. It is also usual to have a granite grave marker plaque, costing £400, making £1350 in total. Each additional set of ashes requires a further payment for grave preparation and our professional fees.

To bury a single set of ashes requires a single ashes burial plot (£250), grave preparation (£200), making £450. It is usual to have a granite grave marker plaque costing £400, making £850 in total.

It must be remembered that these costs are in addition to the normal cremation expenses.

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What happens at an ASHES BURIAL at Herongate Wood?

The burial of the ashes of a loved one takes place after the cremation and the family is looking for somewhere beautiful for them to rest. We supply a bio-degradable urn to hold the ashes that are to be buried at Herongate Wood; for which we make no additional charge. As an alternative to immediate burial, it may be appropriate for the ashes to be kept safe and, in due course, placed in the coffin of a partner or close family member, who is to be buried. WWCC have no problem with this approach and both names may be engraved on the personalised memorial plaque.

Where it has been decided to bury the ashes, the first step is to ascertain whether the family requires a single ashes or a family plot. The latter can take up to four separate sets of ashes, to be used as the need arises. We can also offer adjoining plots, either for full burials or for ashes interment.

In deciding on the date for the interment of the ashes, it is usual to allow sufficient time for the grave plaque to be prepared in advance, so that it can be placed as part of the service. We will help the family with their personal message for the stone and prepare the formal artwork for their approval before it is sent to the stone mason for engraving. The stone can usually be prepared within a week of our receiving the approved artwork.

On the day of the burial of the ashes, we meet at Herongate Wood. The funeral service has already taken place so only a short service of committal at the place of burial is required. It is not usual to use the Hall of Remembrance and no outside Officiant is normally in attendance; one of our experienced Funeral Conductors will assist and lead the service (if required).

Where the ashes are still in the container provided by the Crematorium, we can discreetly transfer them in our office, into the urn selected by the family, before the ceremony. (There is no charge for this service.) Once all the family and friends have arrived, we make our way to the burial place, where the plot has already been prepared. At the time of committal, the ashes are placed gently into the grave. The family often then places flowers and small mementoes to accompany them. After family readings and farewell poems, the grave is gently completed, the electronic locator is inserted and the grave plaque is placed into position.

At this stage, our staff withdraw, leaving the family to spend as much time as they like at the graveside, before returning to their cars. There is no hurry. They may return whenever they choose and, if the main gates are closed, they are free to park their cars and use the pedestrian gate, which is always open.

After every funeral, we ask families to complete a feed-back form giving their views and specifically asking where we could have done things better so that our high standards are maintained and continuously improved.

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Do you collect the body of my loved one?
When your loved one passes away, telephone us on 01245 284 985, our Head Office telephone is manned 24 hours, seven days a week. We will collect your loved one immediately from their own home, residential care home or from the Hospital. We will keep them safe in our Chapel of Rest, while we help you arrange the funeral; they never leave our care.

We have full viewing facilities at our Chapel of Rest.

Distance is no problem (although there may be an additional mileage charge); we have collected from a wide area, as far away as Derby and Edinburgh and, in one case, arranged for the re-patriation of a young man from New Zealand.

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Do you facilitate a DIY Funeral?

We are fully prepared to allow the family of those who have passed, to arrange personally the laying to rest of their loved one. We will supply a coffin if required and the family may use all our facilities to prepare the loved one for burial or cremation and caring for them in our Chapel of Rest. We will assist in all the areas necessary, particularly with regard to preserving the dignity of the loved one and the observance of all the legal formalities and Health and Safety issues.

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How much is the burial fee for 'out of area'?

The cost of a standard burial plot remains at £650, the same for everybody. There is no "out of area" supplement.

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Do you accept funerals, funded by the Benefits Agency?

Yes. We will also assist in completing the various application forms to obtain assistance with funeral costs from the Benefits Agency.

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Feedback Comments on the Site?

Applicants' Comments from 'Feedback' Forms returned after burials at Herongate Wood. The statement on the feedback form was 'What we particulary liked was:- '

'We laid him to rest with dignity and in a setting and way he would have approved of. We feel we have bought for him a small piece of the countryside.'

'Informality, easy access, great views over open countryside'

' The peaceful location and natural beauty of the site'

'Simple, quiet, natural - just so for the person we loved'

'The setting, simplicity and the flexibility to conduct the funeral as I wanted.'

'The ability to choose our own proceedings'

'The surrounding trees, the birds' singing and the wildlife'

'We never expected to come away from a funeral and say 'it was a lovely day.'

‘ Your personal touch and the surroundings’

‘The freedom to do as we wished … unhurried and gentle atmosphere’

‘opportunity to be in the Hall early enough to arrange our personal things’

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Feedback Comments on WWCC Staff?

Applicants' Comments from 'Feedback' Forms returned after burials at Herongate Wood. The statement on the feedback form was 'How I would describe the staff was:-'

'The care and tenderness shown was more than anyone could ask for'

'Very helpful and supportive at all levels'

'Very helpful and understanding'

‘very helpful, both on enquiring and at the burial’

‘Thank you for taking such care and consideration during the interment of my mother. Your service and attitude from start to finish has been exemplary.’

'Efficient, kind, considerate and understanding. I felt confident that all would go well.'

'Excellent; particularly conscientious'

'attentive, caring, helpful'

'Sympathic but constructive and worked very hard'

'Genuine and helpful'

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Feedback "Would I recommend the site to others?"

Applicants' Comments from 'Feedback' Forms returned after burials at Herongate Wood. The question on the feedback form was 'Would I recommend Herongate Wood to Friends?'

'I want to be buried there myself. (in 40 years' time)'

'Yes, one couldn't wish for a more peaceful burial.'

'I highly recommend it'

'Yes, totally.'

‘I wish I had come here in the first place for the whole funeral’ (This was from a family who were burying ashes.)

‘Yes, and already 3 have amended their Wills in order to use Herongate Wood.’

‘Absolutely, the area is beautiful. The cost is reasonable.’

'Yes, go ahead and make your enquiries'

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What about the future?

To lie forever in a beautiful wood or meadow must be a comfort to our loved ones left behind. They can visit and sit quietly in the areas set aside for contemplation or stroll through the new woods and meadows, remembering the past, the happy times shared.

Memorial plaques are placed flat on the ground so that nothing interrupts the views. As each new plot is used, a payment is made to The Woodland and Wildlife Trust Company specifically to ensure the maintenance of these green spaces in perpetuity.

Everyone can share in the creation of these lovely sanctuaries. They will remain throughout the centuries for future generations to enjoy.

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How can I Plan ahead?

Costs inevitably rise but you may avoid the increases in two ways; by pre-booking plots at the current price and/or by taking out a Golden Charter Funeral Plan. Please see details below.

Pre-booked Plots You may pre-book a single, double or a group of plots. The payment for each plot is made at the time of booking, thus ensuring that loved ones are spared this extra pressure at a time of loss. The price paid for the plot is fixed the day it is booked and this pre-booking ensures that you will have the burial of your choice. If you change your mind, the cost of the plot will be refunded, without any deduction, upon written request.

For your own benefit, wWe would prefer that you use us for the whole funeral (including cremation, if required) but will work seamlessly with any other Funeral Director that you choose.

We issue a Burial Grant Certificate confirming your pre-booking arrangements. This Certificate is a legal document, the reverse of which is used to record all your wishes so that it may help your loved ones carry them out when the time comes. We advise it is kept with your Will and other important documents. It is also helpful to inform your executors and loved ones of your plans.

Golden Charter Funeral Plan This is a first-class scheme, through which you can arrange and pre-pay your entire funeral at the current prices and then llive many happy years, knowing there is nothing more to pay for all those services we supply. (Charges made on your behalf to third parties, such as the Crematorium etc, are known as 'disbursements' and may go up as they are outside our control.) This may be paid in full when it is booked or spread over a period.

Each Plan is individually prepared and we prefer to meet and help you make informed decisions for your own funeral package before we complete the Golden Charter Forms. (You will understand that this is a legal document and can be confusing.) The Plan is either paid immediately or over a period to suit your circumstances..

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Do I need a funeral director?

We are Funeral Directors and have the full range of facilities for both 'green' and traditional funerals; it is your choice. As a family company, we are here to help and guide you through the practicalities of laying a loved one to rest and to support you in your needs. You can come to us direct and we can provide a caring, dignified funeral, incorporating any decisions or arrangements that you choose. It is important to us that every funeral is entirely in accordance with the wishes of the deceased and their relatives.

We provide full Funeral Directors’ Services(including cremation, if required). We collect your loved one and keep them safe in our Chapel of Rest while the funeral is arranged; they never leave our care.

If you want to use Herongate Wood and combine this with traditional funeral directors, we will work seamlessly with them.

We can arrange:

The entire funeral and burial or cremation and/or burial of ashes at Herongate Wood.
Limousines for families, should they be required, although our families usually travel in their own cars.
A Service with the Officiant of your choice, Clergy, Minister, Humanist or just a family friend, with help from us, if required, in our Hall of Remembrance, on our paved terrace, with our delightful pond as a backdrop or at the grave side.
A service in a place of worship before or after the interment, although it is more usual to have the service in our Hall of Remembrance at Herongate Wood. The Hall seats 60, with plenty of additional standing room.
A gathering or reception at our Hall of Remembrance after a funeral, with refreshments if required.
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What type of Memorials do you offer?

The natural beauty of the landscape, with its woods and meadows, is your lasting memorial. Our wood is regularly extended during the dormant season (October to March) by planting young trees across the area where burials have taken place. This encourages the bluebells to spread. We do not charge for planting and tending these trees as we regard the entire wood as the memorial, rather than the individual tree. If having an individual tree is important to you, please consider a semi-mature standard tree with a personalised name plaque, fully described in 'memorial items'. You may also enquire about Premium Plots where a tree may be planted on the grave of a loved one.

We offer granite grave plaques (300mm square), bearing a personal message and placed flat on the plot as a permanent marker. Every grave is discreetly, but permanently, marked with an individual electronic locator. The precise location is recorded for future reference in our Burial Register, a copy of which is given to the applicant after the funeral. Please see our price list for personally worded granite grave plaques.

Please click here to be taken to the price list for the full range of memorials, including memorial plaques fixed to oak benches, located for visitors to sit quietly and enjoy the views.

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What type of Coffin do you accept?

We accept all types of coffins or shrouds, provided they are bio-degradable and legal. We prefer those made from renewable resources. They can be decorated with flowers or be painted and/or carved, as you desire. We have recently introduced an ingenious system using a cardboard coffin, within a handsome Oak Veneer cover. This is mainly used for Cremation and is limited to those up to 6ft 2ins tall. Only the cardboard coffin is cremated or buried and the cover is discreetly removed and returned for reuse, avoiding unnecessary waste.

Please click here for pictures and prices of the many types of coffins we can supply, including woven, traditional solid and cardboard, all from renewable resources.

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Do you use headstones on the graves?

At our burial grounds, we do not have traditional headstones. Instead, most graves have a granite marker, placed flat on the ground, so that nothing interrupts the views across the wood or meadow. Please click here to see our price list for personally worded granite grave plaques and other memorials.

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How can my grave be located in the future?

It is a legal obligation that we maintain permanent records of the location of every grave, an obligation that we have extended to ashes burials as well as full interments. Graves at Herongate Wood are laid out in a grid pattern. Each group of 36 graves constitutes a 'plot' that is discreetly but permanently marked by stainless steel posts, bearing an alpha-numeric code, driven into the ground at the corners of each plot. Each individual grave is also numbered, within its plot.

In addition to this unique grave number, every grave also has a numbered electronic locator, that can be located by our staff, using a scanner. All these details are recorded in our Burial Register, which is signed by a witness to the interment and then laminated. The reverse of this Certificate is used for a map of the exact location of the grave, a copy of which is given to the family after every funeral. We have made arrangements to preserve these records indefinitely.

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What are the arrangements for the maintenance of graves?

Families may plant a few spring bulbs on the grave but nothing else, please. We ask your help in maintaining a natural woodland site. The gardeners can provide a small vase to hold cut flowers and we would ask you please to take home the wrappings and all other non-biodegradable items. If they are left, we shall remove and dispose of them for you after around a week.

Many families want a tree on their plot and we have a few 'premium' plots where this can be arranged. In other circumstances, we try to accommodate these requests where we can. Please note that all graves will eventually be within the bluebell wood and that no grave will be further than 3 metres from a tree.

We wish to make it absolutely clear that we make no charge for the maintenance of graves. There are no 'hidden' costs. The Woodland and Wildlife Conservation Company cares for the site whilst it functions as a burial ground. Once the burial ground reaches capacity, it will be gifted to the Woodland and Wildlife Trust, which will maintain it forever, using the fund built up from payments made by WWCC at the time of each burial. We have taken steps to ensure that no grave will ever be re-used or disturbed; those who lie here will 'Rest in Peace' in the truest sense of the phrase.

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What happens if it rains?

The service is normally held in the Hall of Remembrance and the Committal at the graveside takes only a few minutes. We would suggest that family and friends come equipped with a change of suitable footwear and waterproofs.

Those who do not wish to be present at the graveside are welcome to remain in the Hall or, privately, in their cars whilst the burial takes place.

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May I be buried with my pet?

Ashes of a much loved pet can be placed in your plot at the time of your own burial. Similarly, arrangements can be made for the ashes of a pet that survives its owner to be interred later, in the same plot.
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Who is your regulatory body?

The Woodland and Wildlife Conservation Company LLP is a member of the following Professional bodies and is bound by the various Codes of Practice:

Association of Natural Burial Reserves. You may click here to view its Code of Practice.

The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM). ICCM have produced the "Charter for the Bereaved", giving certain rights to mourners, which is binding on all members.

The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)

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