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A funeral to die for Dani Maimone takes a look at Natural Burials ALTHOUGH DEATH AND dying is an uncomfortable subject for many of us, it’s a natural part of life that we can’t ignore. I know from personal experience that dealing with the death of someone we are close to, deciding what kind of send off to give them, and whether or not they are cremated or buried, can be a difficult thing to have to deal with. Unless of course they have expressed clear wishes about what that process should be. I plan to leave clear instructions for my family as to my funeral arrangements, partly because I want it to be something fun and different, and also because I don’t want them to have to think about that aspect as well as dealing with everything else. The funny thing about funerals is that none of us are actually here to witness them, so in a sense what is done with our bodies after we die is more for those that we have left behind than for us. Unless you are planning to leave it to science! It might be the case that you have never been to a funeral and therefore have no clue what to expect. Experiences can vary wildly and not all of them are very pleasant. I know it’s not a word that one would normally associate with funerals but I have been to some that were so; a Dixie band down the high street, a lovely choir and guitarist, several natural burials. Many of the funerals have been serious, traditional and in some cases unemotional, the crematorium in particular. More recently I have attended them to take funeral photographs for the families involved. It may sound odd but years ago it was quite a normal thing to do. It can help families with the bereavement process, and if it is a special and unusual event there is even more reason to have a record of it, but I digress. Last year, I attended a funeral of the husband of a good friend of mine, not an elderly person, a middle- aged lovely man not much older than myself. His death was sudden and unexpected. The funeral was a natural burial held in Epping Forest, and I was blown away by it. The simple willow coffin was taken to the wooden pavilion where the service was held. Rays of sunlight shone through the trees and in moments of silence to recall memories of lovely George, you could hear the birds singing. It was an emotional but uplifting experience and will stay etched on my mind forever. Thankfully with natural burial sites emerging across the country we are gradually changing the way we deal with death and dying. The Natural Death Centre charity, and organisations like Final Fling, readily offer advice on what to do when someone dies. They have enabled us to take back control, guiding us through the process and different options of what we can and can’t do with regard to services, funerals, cremations and burials and coffins. Much to my surprise, I discovered last year that basically almost anything goes. There are no set rules to follow as we are often led to believe by many funeral companies and past traditions. Although a large percentage of us choose to be cremated, natural burial provides us with a more ecofriendly alternative. So what is natural burial and where in Surrey can you find a site? Natural burial is a funeral that minimises any impact on the environment. The first natural burial site was opened some twenty years ago; quite a leap forward for its time. There are now over 260 sites around the UK from as far afield as the Highlands in Scotland all the way down to Cornwall. 24 x R&A HASLEMERE & VILLAGES February 2013
They are environmentally friendly and provide valuable ecosystems for a variety of wild flowers, plants and wildlife. It is a far cry from the hurried, often soulless experience of cremation. It means that the body will be buried in its natural form. Coffins are made out of natural substances such as wicker, cardboard, woollen shrouds, simple pine boxes or bamboo, they are environmentally friendly and naturally biodegradable unlike many commercial massed produced ones. You can normally choose where on the site you would like the plot to be and the location will be marked on a plan. There are no headstones as the aim is to keep the site as natural looking as possible. Simon Ferrar, Manager at Clandon Wood Natural Burial, had a vision a few years ago. He witnessed his first natural burial in a field in Worcestershire in 2005. It was for his aunt. “I was standing there, in this farmer’s field,” he said, “now known as Westall Park, and I just knew that this was the right way to go. There is something so profound and special about a natural burial, the simplicity of it all makes it more poignant somehow. Suddenly it all made sense. The creation of a selfsustaining, wildlife environment was the answer to the enduring question: how do we find enough space to accommodate human burials responsibly”? Since then, Simon has been working hard to bring his vision to life and finally succeeded in doing so at the back end of 2012 by opening Clandon Wood Natural Burial Reserve. It is located at the foot of the Surrey Hills and is the largest fully managed site in Surrey but you don’t have to be based in the county to make use of it. Anyone can be buried there. Images (Dani Maimone): Top left: The first Natural Burial at Clandon Wood Above: The funeral cortege on its way to Clandon Wood www.roundandaboutssh.co.uk Clandon Wood is 31 acres of native wildflower meadow, surrounded by hedgerows, incorporating a lake and wetland area. This year they plan to plant hundreds of native tree species on site. You can hold a religious service, a simple graveside ceremony or something non-religious, whatever you chose, it’s entirely up to you. Whilst many council owned graveyards are running out of space and charge extra if you live out of the immediate locality the same does not apply to Clandon Wood. The cost remains the same wherever you are from. By March 2013 full interactive funeral and memorial services can be held in the glass Pavilion. This specially designed building, will provide an innovative and informal space for gatherings, supported by full audio-visual aids and heated with a bio-mass boiler for the colder months. Glass walls will provide occupants with an open view of the landscape and surrounding meadow. Clandon Wood aims to provide you with an unhurried funeral in a very special location. It is a member of the Association of Natural Burial Grounds and like all sites on the register has to meet certain criteria to comply with association standards and a code of conduct. Many sites like these are run by local authorities and some like Clandon Wood are privately owned. I love nature, wildflowers and the great outdoors, something that Clandon Wood has in abundance. It is a very special place. I have been there a few times now and can vouch for the beauty and tranquility that surrounds it. When I first witnessed the gentle meander to the graveside behind a traditional horse drawn cart carrying the coffin, I knew that this was something truly special. If you would like to find out more about natural burials please visit the National Death Centre website at www.naturaldeath.org.uk or Final Fling at www.finalfling.com. For more information about Clandon Wood contact Simon Ferrar on 07870 518292 or look at the website at www.clandonwood.com. For funeral photography contact Rachel Wallace on 01494 883025, www.racheljwallace.com or myself, Dani Maimone on 07887 525505. Dani Maimone is a freelance writer, photographer and radio presenter on Brooklands Radio at www.brooklandsradio.co.uk. You can follow her on twitter @mamaballoon or check her website at www.danipics.com. HASLEMERE & VILLAGES R&A x 25
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