Cremated Remains
Deciding what to do with the cremated remains can be challenging but in order to help you make this decision Rowland Brothers have fully researched the options available
Agreeing the final resting place for the cremated remains is a very important decision, and for most families it is probably better to leave that decision for two or three weeks after the funeral to leave time to consider. In the meantime, we will collect the remains from the crematorium for you whilst you decide.
Once your decision is made please call us and we will arrange everything for you. Alternatively, if you would prefer to discuss any of the options in person, or even an alternative idea which is not presented here, we would be pleased to help you in any way we can.
Internment of Ashes
See our listed suggestions for interment options. If you would like to further discuss your options, please contact us.
You can inter the cremated remains of your loved one in a churchyard or cemetery. Locally, these include the cemeteries in Mitcham Road, Queen’s Road and Bandon Hill, Greenlawn Memorial Park and local churchyards. Reclaimed cremated remains plots can be purchased, accommodating up to eight urns, and new cremation plots are available at Greenlawn Memorial Park.
You can collect your loved one’s cremated remains from the crematorium a day or two after the cremation and take them home. We can provide a variety of urns or other containers, or commission the making of something unique. There is no problem if you wish to scatter or inter the cremated remains in your own garden, but bear in mind that you may move house in the future.
It would, therefore, make sense to bury the cremated remains inside a brass urn, or place them in the bottom of a terracotta pot and plant a favourite flower on top, so you can take them with you if you move. We also provide garden memorials to house the cremated remains such as those in the picture below – they can have a planter, birdbath or sundial on the memorial.
Some clients ask us for the romance of a Viking burial which unfortunately is not possible. However there is an attractive alternative in which after the cremation takes place, the ashes are placed in a 3ft model wicker Viking long boat, a fire is set in the long boat and then the boat set adrift.
This can take place on any waterway with permission of the local authority. Alternatively we can provide this at sea, conditions permitting.
Cremated remains may be interred in an existing family grave. The burial rights for every grave are owned by someone, usually the next of kin of the person buried there, so the grave owner’s permission will be required. The burial of cremated remains in the grave sometimes extends the period of ownership.
There are a number of natural burial grounds across the country. For example the nearest one to Croydon is Clandon Wood near Guildford.
It is a beautiful natural burial reserve where cremated remains are interred rather than scattered. You can choose a specific spot among the flowers and grasses of the meadows or between the trees. The spot can be marked temporarily with a biodegradable memorial plaque laid on the ground, but there are no gravestones – the plots gradually blend into the surroundings as time passes.
However, Clandon Wood has a plot marking system which ensures that individual plots can always be located by visitors. Rowland Brothers can provide information on other locations.
Should it be your last wish to have your ashes interred in the Holy Land then we can help. We have two sites in Israel, one near Jerusalem and the other at the Sea of Galilee.
Both places are very evocative with huge biblical and historic significance: Jerusalem, the city of David and the Sea of Galilee where Jesus gave his sermon on the mount.
Scattering of Ashes
Scattering ceremonies are becoming a new way to give a loved one a specialised send off, with family and friends present. More and more people choose to hold a scattering ceremony to gather friends and family to say things that perhaps wasn’t said at the funeral. These ceremonies can help through the bereavement journey bringing a sense of release to many while giving those left behind an opportunity to add their thoughts, wishes and goodbyes.
Cremated remains can be scattered at sea or on a river. No permission is required to spread cremated remains in UK coastal waters. The English Environment Agency say it is acceptable with certain provisos to scatter cremated remains into rivers or streams. There is no evidence, say the Agency, that this has a negative impact on the environment, but nothing should be deposited in the river which will not degrade naturally, such as plastic.
With this in mind, we can provide special paper containers that can be put into the water and will float for a moment or two before sinking and will, over time, dissolve harmlessly. These containers, beautifully decorated if you wish or perhaps in the shape of a seashell, ensure that the ashes are scattered into the water rather than being blown away in windy conditions.
Certain parts of the River Thames are available for the scattering of cremated remains by the Hindu and Sikh communities and others. City Cruises is one company which facilitates this, departing from Cherry Tree Wharf off Jamaica Road, by London’s Borough Market.
We also provide a scattering service in the sea off the south coast – this can be attended or not – please ask your arranger for details.
If the deceased was a sports-loving person, you might like to consider scattering his or her cremated remains
somewhere like a football or cricket ground, racecourse or golf course.
Scattering at such places – as with all privately owned land – requires permission from the owner, but this is usually given, subject to practical requirements. The owner of the land may also agree to the installation of a bench with a small name plate.
People who had a special love of steam railways can have their cremated remains scattered by a locomotive of the Bluebell Railway. When the train draws to a halt, two members of the family can step up on the footplate and watch as the cremated remains are placed into the firebox. As the train steams from Horsted Keynes to Sheffield Park the remains are blown through the chimney so they are scattered over the railway line.
There are many other heritage railways all over the UK, from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in Cornwall to the Strathspey Railway at the far north of Scotland and from the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways in the heart of Snowdonia to the Bure Valley Railway running through rural Norfolk.
The Woodland Trust is happy to let you scatter on its land but asks that you do not hold any kind of formal ceremony, and do not
disturb the ground in any way. The rules for National Parks vary from location to location, as the National Parks Authority does not own the land – it is similar to a planning authority. It advises that the consent of the landowner be obtained.
The Forestry Commission does not allow cremated remains to be scattered on its land, and Welsh conservationists and The Mountaineering Council of Scotland have asked that scattering should not take place on the iconic mountain peaks of their countries. More secluded spots should be chosen instead. Royal Parks prefer people not to scatter cremated remains within their parks.o the installation of a bench with a small name plate.
If you wish, you can divide the cremated remains into smaller amounts and give them to individuals for them to keep or scatter in a way they feel especially appropriate for them. We can provide you with suitable containers.
We can organise a scattering of cremated remains from the air. It is not possible simply to open a plane’s window and eject the cremated remains without most of them covering the outside of the plane or blowing back inside it, but we have a method which eliminates this problem, using a specialised aircraft.
The fireworks option may sound unusual but has captured the imagination of a growing number of people, especially of younger generations. A portion of the cremated remains is placed inside a firework – a rocket for example – and released into the sky on firing. Companies can provide a single firework, or a complete display for an event celebrating the life of the person who has died.
You can fire the rockets and mini-displays yourself, or the company will prepare and set off a display representing the personality of the individual. This can include a name or message in fireworks, or synchronising the display to favourite music tracks.
Memorial Jewellery
Memorial jewellery enables families to create unique and priceless heirlooms to store the memories of their loved ones. It allows them to hold them near and pass on their memory to family in the future. Your loved one’s ashes can be set into a range of memorial items like pendants, picture frames, candles, and jewellery. We will help you create beautiful memorial items for your family and the remainder of the cremated remains can be scattered or buried according to your wishes.
Jewellery or crystal glass options are recent innovations that have become increasingly popular. Only a small amount of the cremated remains is required to create a unique memorial keepsake of the deceased person. The cremated remains can be used to create beautiful designs.
By combining the cremated remains with crystal glass of varied colours, it is possible to create unique hand-crafted jewellery (rings, lockets, pendants, and cufflinks) or quality paperweights.
There is also a further selection of alternative jewellery ideas including silver and gold, which can incorporate a small amount of the cremated remains.
This option provides a photo frame that you can place a photograph of your loved one in the front, and a portion of their cremated remains will be inserted inside the back.
For something extra special, you can turn a small portion of cremated remains into a “Heart in Diamond.” You will receive a genuine diamond, with all the optical, physical and chemical properties of an Earth grown diamond.
The same ‘4Cs’ characteristics applied for grading a conventional diamond (colour, clarity, cut and carat) will also be used for your own “Heart in Diamond.”
Sculpter Kate Semple will attend to make a mould of the hand of your loved one clasped together with yours or alternatively only their hand, to form a sculpture.
Cremated remains can also be set in a bowl under the cup of a candleholder.
Urns
We have a selection of the different types of urns available to suit your family. They are available in brass and solid wood, and we also offer biodegradable or soluble urns. We can provide suitable urns if you would like to divide your loved one’s ashes between individuals, and can help you choose the right style for you.
To discuss the urns we offer and the options available for you and your family, get in touch. We are able to assist you with the arrangements for your loved one’s ashes.
Alternative Options for Cremated Remains
Choosing a unique option for the release of your loved one’s ashes is a special, one of a kind memorial that will celebrate their life in a memorable way. We can help you choose from a range of exciting, beautiful options, like sending them to space, making them a part of a coral reef, or even releasing them during a skydive. All these options are available to give your loved one a special tribute that will be meaningful and memorable for your family.
To celebrate your loved one’s life, we can arrange to have their ashes launched to the edge of space and released to travel the world on a breath-taking final journey. The ascent and release are captured on video to create a treasured memorial film to remember the event. With a commitment to quality and care, we’ll be there to guide you throughout the journey.
For a send off and a view you won’t forget, experience the thrill of freefall while attached to a highly experienced Instructor with a parachute that is designed for two people. You’ll leave the aircraft at 13,000ft and sky dive with the instructor who will open the parachute and scatter the ashes on the way down. The whole journey down lasts for about 6 minutes. The company is affiliated to the British Parachute Association. All tandem instructors are very experienced freefall parachutists who hold BPA Tandem Instructor ratings.
For lovers of the sea: Divers, Sailors, Fishermen and anyone one else with a passion for wildlife and the sea. A permanent living legacy for those who lived by the sea, made a living from the sea or simply just loved the sea…
Creating a reef for new life to flourish – this new service, based in Weymouth, Dorset, is a great idea for those wishing to be buried at sea.
Either a beautiful memorial or somewhere where your loved one’s ashes are held, their Solace Stone slides from the deck and falls away to the sea bed. This will help create an artificial reef that with bring sea-life and create a rich and diverse ecosystem, and as the reef sanctuary evolves and flourishes it will become home and haven to numerous marine species.
No longer seen as an unconventional solution to a global problem, Artificial Reef Sanctuaries around the world are helping to create healthy environments where sea life can not only survive, but thrive again. Memorial Reefs are part of that change and have a huge role to play.
With the passing of time your loved one’s Solace Stone will become part of the reef’s future growth and protection. It will help to create a special place and become a permanent reminder to all of their unique life.
Cremated Remains Brochure
Download our cremated remains brochure for full details on the options Rowland Brothers can help you arrange.
Speak to a Funeral Director in Croydon Today
If you need immediate assistance or would like to discuss planning ahead, our experienced funeral directors are here to help.
- Call now for compassionate, local support: 0800 0789 636
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