What are Green or Woodland Burial Sites?
The concept of green or woodland burial sites is quite simple; it provides a peaceful resting place in a manner friendly towards nature, wildlife, and the environment. A tree can also be planted on or near the grave. The planting of trees not only adds to the natural beauty of the countryside, but also helps fight against global warming.
Some sites are meadows where bulbs or wildflowers are substituted for trees, thus creating woodland areas and wildlife havens.
Many families these days move around and don't necessarily stay in the same area. This causes problems with grave maintenance. A Green Burial needs no maintenance from family or friends to secure an everlasting dignified field of rest. Most Green Burial or Woodland Burial sites stipulate that the coffins need to be biodegradable.
Many graveyards and cemeteries are overcrowded. In 1900 fewer than 500 cremations took place, all using solid wood coffins, thus causing a special type of waste disposal problem. Most coffins are made of chipboard or MDF. Both produce many pollutants including dioxins.
Coffin handles are often plastic, these and glues in chipboard are pollutants when burnt, and smoke from crematoriums compounds the greenhouse effect. In addition solid wood coffins waste vast quantities of trees that take years and years to grow and are not easily replenished.
Burial Site Locations
Listed to the right are various burial sites and website addresses linking to burial sites through out the UK. We have endeavored to list as many as possible to date. Fortunately new green burial sites are opening up more and more.
Westcombe Hill Nature Reserve Burial Ground
Westcombe
Nr Somerton
Somerset
Burial Grounds Phone Numbers:
01643 822035
01485 252723
Westcombe Hill Burial Ground is situated with a hilltop smallholding, which has been managed on organic principles for over thirty years by the donors, Olive and Arthur Fevin.
Most of its eleven acres will continue to be grazed as field and increasingly woodland pasture, but one field has been set aside as a burial ground for approximately three hundred graves. The secluded land looks over the Levels to the Polden and Mendip Hills. It is rich in natural life and will remain a nature reserve.
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