Think Natural
Eight years ago, Simon Ferrar went to his aunt’s funeral. It was a natural funeral, and the simplicity of the service ‘just grabbed’ him.
A natural funeral or burial is all about returning the body to the earth, creating a habitat for wildlife and is better for the environment.
Simon Ferrar’s aunt’s funeral gave him the idea to set up his own natural and sustainable burial site. Clandon Wood in Surrey is set in 31 acres of wild flower meadows. It is a beautiful place, so no wonder people find the site so appealing for the burial of a loved one.
‘There are about 260 sites in the country now,’ says Ferrar. ‘And we are probably one of the largest.
‘Burial grounds and cemeteries are going to fill up and the local authorities neither have the money nor the space to increase the provision. That is one of the reasons why natural burial sites are becoming more and more popular,’ Ferrar explains.
‘The other reason is that natural funerals offer a nicer experience. Our site is a nature reserve first and foremost.’
Ferrar describes services at his site as ‘extraordinary funerals in an extraordinary place’.
‘There is time – there is no rushing. Most people choose cremation and you are in and out in 20 minutes, with the next group of people waiting outside. Not a great experience.
‘But here you have three or four hours to spend as you want. When we get busy we probably have two funerals a day – one in the morning, and one in the afternoon.’
A wicker coffin is most people’s idea of a natural burial and a lot of people think it’s a bit ‘hippy’, he says.
‘It is just a different experience: a relaxed, informal, unhurried funeral. The thing that we say to people is that it is about you and your family and your choices. It is not about someone dying and then handing it all over to a funeral director. We ask what you would like from the funeral and pretty much anything is possible.
‘One eco-funeral we had here was for a man who lived on a commune and all the commune members came down, dug his grave and made his coffin. They spent about three hours here, singing, reciting poems and telling stories around the grave. They set off a rocket over the meadow and finished up doing the hokey-cokey. There is practically nothing that you can’t do.’
A traditional funeral costs from around £3,750, but to be buried at Clandon Wood, £1,750 covers the cost of the plot, the digging of the grave and a contribution to a Woodland Trust fund.
‘Some families want to go and collect the body and dress it and even make the coffin,’ says Ferrar, and this brings the cost down further.
However you choose to do it, one thing is for sure, you are in safe hands with Ferrar, who takes a personal interest in the funerals at Clandon Wood.
‘One very emotional funeral we have just had was for a gentleman who planned everything before he passed away. His son had died suddenly seven years ago and he had his ashes at home, which he asked to have put in his coffin with him. It was very emotional – I tucked his son’s ashes under his arm and placed all the letters from his grandchildren in his hands.’
Feeling quite emotional just hearing the story, I wonder how he does it.
‘I was crying my eyes out, that’s how I cope with it. The memory stays with me. You cannot describe the emotional reward you get from it.’
Clandon Wood Surrey Hills Natural Burial: 01483-479614, www.clandonwood.com
A natural funeral or burial is all about returning the body to the earth, creating a habitat for wildlife and is better for the environment.
Simon Ferrar’s aunt’s funeral gave him the idea to set up his own natural and sustainable burial site. Clandon Wood in Surrey is set in 31 acres of wild flower meadows. It is a beautiful place, so no wonder people find the site so appealing for the burial of a loved one.
‘There are about 260 sites in the country now,’ says Ferrar. ‘And we are probably one of the largest.
‘Burial grounds and cemeteries are going to fill up and the local authorities neither have the money nor the space to increase the provision. That is one of the reasons why natural burial sites are becoming more and more popular,’ Ferrar explains.
‘The other reason is that natural funerals offer a nicer experience. Our site is a nature reserve first and foremost.’
Ferrar describes services at his site as ‘extraordinary funerals in an extraordinary place’.
‘There is time – there is no rushing. Most people choose cremation and you are in and out in 20 minutes, with the next group of people waiting outside. Not a great experience.
‘But here you have three or four hours to spend as you want. When we get busy we probably have two funerals a day – one in the morning, and one in the afternoon.’
A wicker coffin is most people’s idea of a natural burial and a lot of people think it’s a bit ‘hippy’, he says.
‘It is just a different experience: a relaxed, informal, unhurried funeral. The thing that we say to people is that it is about you and your family and your choices. It is not about someone dying and then handing it all over to a funeral director. We ask what you would like from the funeral and pretty much anything is possible.
‘One eco-funeral we had here was for a man who lived on a commune and all the commune members came down, dug his grave and made his coffin. They spent about three hours here, singing, reciting poems and telling stories around the grave. They set off a rocket over the meadow and finished up doing the hokey-cokey. There is practically nothing that you can’t do.’
A traditional funeral costs from around £3,750, but to be buried at Clandon Wood, £1,750 covers the cost of the plot, the digging of the grave and a contribution to a Woodland Trust fund.
‘Some families want to go and collect the body and dress it and even make the coffin,’ says Ferrar, and this brings the cost down further.
However you choose to do it, one thing is for sure, you are in safe hands with Ferrar, who takes a personal interest in the funerals at Clandon Wood.
‘One very emotional funeral we have just had was for a gentleman who planned everything before he passed away. His son had died suddenly seven years ago and he had his ashes at home, which he asked to have put in his coffin with him. It was very emotional – I tucked his son’s ashes under his arm and placed all the letters from his grandchildren in his hands.’
Feeling quite emotional just hearing the story, I wonder how he does it.
‘I was crying my eyes out, that’s how I cope with it. The memory stays with me. You cannot describe the emotional reward you get from it.’
Clandon Wood Surrey Hills Natural Burial: 01483-479614, www.clandonwood.com