Green and Woodland Funerals

Alternative to traditional funerals

There is no standard industry definition of a “green” or “eco” funeral. All funerals will have an environmental impact to some extent, based on all the choices which have been made for the service.

Depending upon your particular preference or environmental concern, there may nevertheless be different choices you can make to personalise your funeral in order to take account of environmental factors.

Woodland Funerals may offer you a setting which meets your needs. We would encourage you to look at the individual woodland burial ground you may be interested in to find out more about the way each burial ground is managed and maintained from an environmental or “green” perspective.

As an alternative to a traditional burial or cremation, Payne & Sons Funeral Directors can help you arrange for your loved one’s final resting place to be in a woodland burial ground. These are attractive and peaceful places for you to visit and reflect on your loved one’s life moving forward. Woodland funerals are becoming increasingly popular, as people begin to consider the potential environmental benefits of woodlands funerals over other alternatives.

Woodland burials can still be faith based and many sites have dedicated areas for people of different religions. A wide variety of coffins and ashes caskets are still usually available to select.

Eco friendly funeral FAQs

What happens at a Woodland Funeral?

These burials are often not marked with a headstone, rather a tree or flowers that often become indistinguishable in the woodland. Some natural burial grounds offer the opportunity to add a memorial tree to mark your loved one’s resting place.

At the graveside there is usually a short committal ceremony, if desired, and flowers can still be placed as long as there is no cellophane or ribbon. Some venues have onsite dedicated service rooms and chapels that can be used before or after the funeral for a service that is created to reflect your wishes and those of the deceased.

If you would like to explore the possibility of arranging a woodland burial, your Funeral Arranger here at Payne & Sons Funeral Directors can help you find a natural burial ground near you.

Coffin Range

We offer a wide range of coffins, from picture coffins, wooden, wicker, wool and cardboard coffins to caskets.

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Our pricing

Funeral prices vary depending on the type of ceremony you would like for your loved one. There are many options to choose from to make it unique and special.

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Planning ahead?

It is now really easy to plan ahead, making a huge difference by easing the burden on your family when the time comes, so they can focus on the arrangements.

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Need advice?

Payne & Sons Funeral Directors can assist you in every step of the funeral so please don’t hesitate to ask us about any aspects or queries you may have.

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Latest Reviews

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We, as a family, cannot recommend Payne and Sons enough. Emily took care of our dad with such care, thoughtfulness, and warmth. She was incredibly accommodating and generous, especially when navigating time-zone schedules with my brother and me (living in Australia). Emily was by our…

Jan Chantler

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Great Funeral directors very professional Very pleased with all arrangements from start to finish. Many thanks to all the staff at Payne & Sons…

dave mccarthy

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Payne and Sons is a wonderfully supportive company, my heartfelt thanks go to Emily, Karen, Ian and Celine, It was like being looked after and helped by understanding friends, Thankyou all so much you eased us through a very difficult time…

julia mackie

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The family would like to thank Lee and the whole team for their support and guidance for Mrs Ada Heartfield Funeral. This is the second funeral they have arranged for us and you can not fault them in any way. Highly recommended and deserve a…

graham bennee

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These people understand human nature! Sadly mum died recently. We have a great sense of humour and they understood people deal with grief differently! Nothing.was to much for them..their kindness is beyond compare..the private chapel to the rear of this beautiful building ( previously a…

Jane Archer

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If you're worried about anything to do with organising a funeral for a loved one, we cannot recommend Payne & Sons highly enough. They looked after Dad beautifully, from collecting him from the care home, to planning and handling his funeral; Dad was in their…

Maddie Grant

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The staff at Payne & Sons ( Hampden Park) were so kind, thoughtful, professional, and understanding at arranging my father's funeral. He died early December 2024, and they stepped up and made all the arrangements for the family being so close to Christmas. We couldn't…

Amanda Ivimy

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I can't thank Tara, Mark & all at Payne & Sons enough. Tara has taken such great care with myself & the family. Helping us through everything with so much Grace & patience. And the care you all took with my beautiful Mum was Amazing…

Karen Platt

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We were able to give my wonderful Nan a personalised, beautiful send off thanks to Tara and all at Payne and sons in Hampden Park. Tara was so kind and caring throughout the whole process making sure everything was just perfect, and completely stress free…

Michele Allsopp

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Amazing experience with Payne and sons seaside branch. The team were friendly and polite! They went the extra mile to make sure our elvis loving grandad had the perfect send off! Could not fault the team at all made a difficult situation so much more…

chloe wyer

Thinking about a Funeral Plan?

Choice

Choice Funeral plans enable you to arrange and pay for your Funeral Director Services in advance, which could provide peace of mind to you and your family.

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Funeral Notice, Donations and Tribute Service

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View funeral notices and tributes to your loved one and leave a donation in their memory

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We're available 24 hours 365 days a year

Call 01323 649 049 visit branch or arrange a home visit