Funeral Services

Grave Tidy & Clearance We offer a one-off grave tidy service on request for people who are unable to tend to their loved ones grave. We also offer a one-off clearance if the grave is now overgrown. This will remove all plants from the grave and its immediate surround, and ensure clear access from a main pathway.

Most families employ a funeral director to help them with organising a funeral. Funeral directors check availability with the cemetery, coordinate the funeral and bring your loved one here and to the natural burial ground. We can provide you with a list of local funeral directors or liaise with a funeral director of your choice. Some families choose to organise the funeral themselves without a funeral director. If this is what you decide to do, there’ll be a staff member to greet you on arrival on the day of the funeral once you've made arrangements with the cemetery. We’re not funeral directors so are not able to arrange transportation, refrigeration or carrying.

The ground in the woodland is open to everyone. We embrace people of all beliefs, persuasions or values. If you'd like a consecrated grave (grave usually dedicated as sacred by a specific religion) then please enquire with our Cemetery Services Manager as we may have these types of graves elsewhere in the cemetery. We may allow the pre-purchase of graves in the woodland if there are extenuating circumstances. However, pre-purchase only secures a grave in the woodland and not a specific area within the woodland. We don't offer double depth graves for environmental reasons.

Burials must take place in coffins or shrouds made of sustainable biodegradable materials such as woven materials (bamboo, willow, seagrass, wool) and cardboard. You don't need to use a coffin; many people prefer to use a shroud.

Yes. Arnos Vale's Natural Burial Woodland is an extension to Arnos Vale Cemetery, both are managed by the Arnos Vale Cemetery (Charitable) Trust. It's also a member of the Association of Natural Burial Grounds.