Woodland burial
Posted by DavidM in Buying green | 7 July 2008
My wife and I updated our wills recently and I noticed on hers that she'd stipulated what she wanted to happen to her body. I'd never considered this before and after a little thought decided on a woodland burial.
It was only when we were discussing it a few days later that she asked if I actually knew anywhere that did woodland burials or what it was like. I didn't. It hadn't occured to me to check somewhere out.
A simple 'woodland burial' search on Google showed there is plenty of choice across the UK and worldwide. I found a site for the Association of Natural Burial Grounds (ANBG) listing all their member organisatons across the country. There is only one in Hampshire - the South Downs Natural Burial Site at the Sustainability Centre near Petersfield.
So, a couple of weeks ago I took the day off and we had what I called a 'morbid Monday morning' visiting dead people in a wood.
The site wasn't quite what I expected - I had an image of an immaculate, sombre funeral building. In reality it is an active environmental education centre and looks like one. Having said that, while being more practical than beautiful around the buildings, the rooms used for services and refreshments were the right size and perfectly fine.
We walked down to the burial area and once among the trees it was so quiet and peaceful. In the shadows of the branches were low mounds of earth, some with fresh or dried flowers. As a final resting place I couldn't think of anywhere better (given the very low likelihood that they'll allow me to be buried under the pitch at Arsenal).
We also met the burials manager. Again, as far from a funeral director as you can get. He was a very practical woodsman in forester-like gear. But again I liked it. He answered our questions simply, and explained how the burials usually happened.
The funeral directors deliver the coffin. It is then taken down the narrow - and slightly steep - track to the burial site by hand brier, manned by members of the family. He stressed how they like to involve the family rather than let the funeral attendants do the work. Cars are on hand to transport elderly relatives who would struggle with the slope.
He also said the profits from the burials fund some of the work of the sustainabiluty centre, bringing inner city children down to the countryside to learn about the environment and look after animals and plants.
I came away more convinced I'd made the right decision. I won't be a conventional funeral but it will be personal, intimate and appropriate to me.
Image source: SXC
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