Coffins, Shrouds and Memorials

You may be interested to know that there is no UK law requiring that a coffin be used. (If the person is to be cremated most crematoria expect a coffin to be used, although there are some that now allow shroud cremations.)

Contrary to popular belief, it is not a legal requirement that a coffin or casket must be used to house a dead body. The only legal stipulation is that 'It is an offence to expose a dead body near a public highway as this would outrage public decency'.

A body should therefore be covered in public, but the method of doing so is entirely up to the individual responsible for the disposal of the body.

 

The simple shroud shown above is produced by Bellacouche

 

Most families in Britain still choose to use a coffin rather than a shroud.

With that in mind, we list below suppliers who are willing to sell directly to the public rather than only to funeral directors.

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 The casket above is produced by Woven Farewell Coffins

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 If you are organising a funeral and would prefer to source your own coffin or shroud rather than choosing from the selection offered by a funeral director, then you are entirely within your rights to do so.

 

Below are a list of coffin and memorial suppliers who sell directly to the public. Please be aware that the websites for many coffin suppliers do not list prices due to the complications and differences between retail and wholesale/trade customers.

 

In addition to the suppliers below, some of the Funeral Directors in our list will also help families who are organising a funeral themselves and just want to buy a coffin or shroud from them (rather than all of the associated services they offer).

 

 

Memorials

There are many, many ways of commemorating the life of someone, ranging from the familiar marble or granite headstone on a grave in a cemetery, to memorial benches in parks or towns.

As people have become more concerned about environmental issues, the traditional type of headstone made from imported stone that has been quarried in the Far East is becoming less appealing, and a whole host of alternative memorial choices are now available.

Across the UK, there are craftsmen who specialise in working with locally sourced wood and who will create a bespoke memorial for families who commission them. One such craftsman is Luke Chapman, who has a studio in Norfolk. His website can be seen here. 

It was Luke who produced and donated the beautiful walnut plaque that was carved for the overall 2013 winner of The People's Award for the Best Natural Burial Ground in the UK, which was presented to South Downs Natural Burial site by our patron, Lucy Siegle.

Another craftsman who we've been told about is Chris Nangle, whose work can be seen here. Chris creates contemporary and traditional memorial benches, made from locally sourced English Green Oak, and offers a complete design and build service from his Shropshire workshop.

 

 

Flowers

The Farewell Flowers Directory is an online listing of florists across the UK who are able to offer fully compostable funeral flowers. Its aim is to remove plastic floral foam - which never biodegrades, pollutes the environment with microplastics and is costly for cemeteries and crematoria to dispose of. 

 

Other Ideas

A new alternative to commemorate lives, both at the funeral ceremony and afterwards, has been introduced by A Giving Tribute - a way of sharing memories and photographs of the person who has died. Their 'Funeral Tribute Card Package' allows family and friends to create complimentary Funeral Tribute Cards online, which are then printed onto recycled card and mounted within a weatherproof cardboard display stand called a Tribleau.

The Tribleau can be set up at the funeral venue to greet the mourners in much the same way as funeral flowers (but without the associated costs to the environment) and can then be taken on to the reception afterwards. Once the cards have been removed, the Tribleau can be recycled, and the Tribute Cards can be kept in a special commemorative Memory Book.

With increasing numbers of families opting for donations to charity in lieu of flowers at the funeral ceremony, a special display of photographs and memories can provide a focal point for mourners on the day, as well as a treasured keepsake for the bereaved family afterwards. More information and prices are at the website www.agivingtribute.com