Woodland Burial
Operations and Guidance
Coronavirus Update
Until further notice or specific guidance is issued, the St Albans Woodland Burial Ground will continue to be open and operate within the specific guidelines provided by the Government, NHS and other appropriate agencies. We will keep this situation under constant review.
The current guidance from the Government is that funerals should continue but take into account all of the guidelines issued for minimising the risk of transmission of Coronavirus.
Arrangements for funerals, burials and interments at the St Albans Woodland Burial Ground will need to be made safely, in line with current guidelines. This means it is highly likely that all arrangements will be made by telephone, Skype calls or similar means wherever possible. In exceptional circumstances where face to face meetings have to take place, it is critical to adhere to the guidelines for social distancing, and those who are self-isolating and/or with symptoms should not attend meetings nor should meetings take place at a venue where someone has symptoms or is self-isolating.
Funerals, burials and interments will have to be different to what may be normally expected. The numbers of those attending the funeral inevitably may be reduced to immediate family and few others. Those who are at increased risk including the over 70’s and those with an underlying health condition should be strongly discouraged from attending. You may wish to consider Live Streaming the Funeral as an option.
We understand it may simply not be possible for family relatives or friends of the deceased to be able to attend a funeral service as usual. We can still take a funeral at the graveside even if numbers are limited. In a Church or the Crematorium and other closed spaces hymns and singing are not advised as this may encourage droplet spread. In the open air at the burial ground appropriate social distancing should be maintained at all times. For those unable to attend, a memorial service could be held at some point in the future after this immediate crisis. Current guidelines indicate there should not be a “wake” or gathering after the funeral. You may wish to delay the interment (burial) of ashes until after the immediate crisis is over to avoid unnecessary travel and contact by relatives. This is completely acceptable.
Pastoral support for the bereaved remains in place, albeit within the constraints of current guidelines.
If the current crisis causes difficulties in the payment of fees please let us know so alternative arrangements can be evaluated.
You can download a hard copy of these guidance notes in PDF format for offline viewing or printing at a later date. Just follow this link:- Coronavirus Operations and Guidance Notes V2 March 2020
A little about us...
Whilst the woodland resides in the extensive St Albans Diocese, from which it takes its name, it is open to everyone in the UK and offers an environmentally friendly alternative to the municipal crematoriums and overcrowded church cemeteries.
We are turning back the clock, restoring native woodland and genuinely making a difference - a truly natural, eco-friendly solution with the added benefit of protected status (one of only two such woodlands in the UK).
Over the last 11 years, our managed woodland has expanded significantly and already extends to over 12 acres thanks to your support and that of our Friends. Already a further 60 acres of young trees have been planted around us.
Every woodland burial, interment of ashes and donation helps us restore the 350 acres of ancient woodland that once stood here. Reserve or allow your loved one to rest here amongst the peace and tranquility of tomorrows ancient woodland.