Burials

Traditional or informal

Funeral services can be as formal or informal as you would like – and it’s entirely up to you as to how religious the service is depending on your beliefs and the wishes of your loved one.

James Hawes & Goodchild Funeral Directors can organise the funeral and a burial at your chosen cemetery, graveyard or burial ground and purchase a grave on your behalf where necessary. Most burial grounds have a chapel or room where the service can take place, but you may decide you want the service to take place in a particular church or other venue that has meaning for you. 

If you already have a family burial plot we may be able to arrange for it to be reopened before the burial. If you would like burial plots which are next to each other, you’ll need to talk to the local authority about the possibility of purchasing or reserving multiple plots and again, we can help you with this.

What happens at a burial?

On the day of the funeral, depending on your preference, mourners may assemble outside the burial ground awaiting the arrival of the cortege with hearse, or may take a seat in the chapel before the coffin is brought in. Alternatively, the coffin can be taken to the venue prior to the mourners arriving.

A funeral service usually lasts around 20 to 60 minutes and can include a number of hymns or non-religious songs that mean something to you, eulogies and readings.

Following the funeral service (should you choose to have one) the committal service usually takes place at the graveside with the minister, clergy or other non-religious officiant conducting the service. This can be tailored to your requests with readings, songs and prayers. 

James Hawes & Goodchild Funeral Directors can assist you in every step of the funeral and burial arrangements so please don’t hesitate to ask us about any aspects or queries you may have.

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Memorial Masonry

We offer a masonry service for new pieces, additional inscriptions or renovations to existing memorials.

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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?

James Hawes & Goodchild 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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Featured Reviews

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James Hawes & Goodchild Funeral Director provided a great service for my grandads funeral. Would recommend them during your time.

sm m

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Alison treated me and my family with respect and kindness. She had empathy and her customer service is of the highest order.

Philip Awuah

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Losing a child is a devastating pain that no parent should ever have to go through, but Denise, Tony, and all the staff at James Hawes & Goodchild at 216 Well Street, Hackney, E8 made a completely heartbreaking time feel supported and manageable. From our…

Mandy B

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My family and I cannot thank Denise and her team enough for their support, kindness and professionalism, ensuring that our mother’s funeral ran smoothly last week. The funeral was dignified and beautiful, as we had hoped it would be. Thank you Denise, Samantha, Richard and…

Pansy

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We used James Hawes for our Dad's funeral back in 2004 so we went with them again for our Mum's this week. A truly excellent service from start to finish. A huge thank you to Alison and Sam who helped us through a really difficult…

Jeff Buggins

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We had a funeral for a special mum of the family Alison was excellent arranging our funeral and all our requests The cars were fab staff were lovely this included the drivers and the lovely lady in charge of the procession Our funeral went easy…

Tina Buggins

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Thank you to Denise and her team for their support and help during our difficult time. The kindness and compassion shown to the family and attention to detail at the service was greatly appreciated, they knew exactly what we needed when we wasnt in the…

Georgia B

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Could not ask for better people to help me throughout the sad time of planning my dad's celebration of life day. Whatever was asked, was done and done to perfection. They became a part of my family and I will always be grateful for making…

Christina Wood

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I would like to say a massive thank you for the funeral directors and staff, Denise, Richard, Deanna and Sam, for the care of my Late Father Mr Patrice and the highly professional execution of his funeral. They did a wonderful job from start to…

Benjamite Queen

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A massive thank you to Alison for looking after my family at a very difficult time. A special mention to Tony who visited my Autistic grandson every evening and at the weekend to reassure him and put his mind at ease. Such an incredible human…

Harry Mason

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