Could Bristol solve London burial crisis?
Bristol Memorial Woodlands, just fifteen minutes away from Bristol’s Cribbs Causeway, could provide a solution to a growing crisis in London where local authorities are running out of space to bury the dead.
The 100-acre site in South Gloucestershire has capacity for many years, for both burial and the interment of ashes, and has been set up in a sustainable way creating a natural woodland that is being managed now and into the future by an established charitable trust.
An audit in the London area has revealed that 17 local authorities will no longer have space for burials by 2040 while three – Camden, Hackney and Tower Hamlets have already run out of space for burials.
Christopher Baker, who founded Bristol Memorial Woodlands on farmland he owns, said: “We have learned a lot over the past few years and we now believe we have a sustainable answer to the problem facing many areas.
“Just as many people move to the West Country for a better lifestyle or retirement, we can also provide a tranquil final resting place for those who prefer burial. We are close to the motorway network and have already had a number of families from London area choose Memorial Woodlands as a resting place for their loved ones. The journey has not proved prohibitive, particularly when weighed against the beauty of the site, the facilities here and the service provided by our own team of funeral directors.
“Here people can have an unhurried service, spend uninterrupted time afterwards, with a wake at our reception rooms and a burial close by. It also means that families can visit the woodlands as they mature, as often as they wish in the years to come.
“Our broader vision over the next century is to create other sites based on the model we have perfected. This could form the basis of extensive nature reserve across the country, protected in trust and self-funded by providing space for burial, ashes interment and remembrance.”
Bristol Memorial Woodlands is bringing back natural land and habitats where wildlife can flourish, memories can endure, and future generations can discover that they too are part of the great, continuing story of life.
Cremation requires the use of fossil fuels while burials benefit the land. Burials are essential to many faiths and the woodlands provides a place that people can visit and sit in quiet contemplation, to be near a loved one.” For information see Bristol Memorial Woodlands and Bristol Memorial Woodland Trust.
