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, James Hawes & Goodchild 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 James Hawes & Goodchild 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?

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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Latest Reviews

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The level of service received here was incredible. I had no idea on what to do but Tony was amazing, he came round my house on several occasions as I was really struggling with the loss of my dad. He just got what it was…

Harriet Kite

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We were very happy with Alison who arranged everything and was our contact before the funeral day, and also the funeral director on the day and her whole team

Tracy Cushion

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It was an extremely difficult time and Alison and the team treated myself and my family with dignity and respect, they literally took care of everything Thank you.

Karema Edwards

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The staff, especially Ceanne at James Hawes & Goodchild funeral directors, Well Street, Hackney were professional yet very caring. From our first visit & up to the funeral day they handled all the arrangements efficiently & kept us updated throughout the process. This was a…

Tracy Jenkins

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From the start to the finish of the funeral process was perfect, Ceanne maid feel relaxed and welcome and put us at ease the attention to detail was phenomenal she kept in contact all the way through even up until the day before the funeral,…

Alan McManus

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Thank you Alison at the Highams Park branch for guiding us through the process of arranging the funeral service for my father. She was kind and sympathetic, providing a coffee, which was a nice touch that helped us to relax. I have never arranged a…

Sue Tuhill

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What a wonderful service these guys provided when my Mum passed away recently with their amazing caring ways. I particularly liked that they came to my house and that I didn't need to visit the funeral parlor.

Shaz Tarleton

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James Hawes & Goodchild funeral home in Hackney looked after our mum two years ago and most recently our dad. They handled arrangements so well and we felt we were in safe hands at such a difficult time. Deanna was amazing and really put us…

Shenneth Brereton

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James Hawes and Goodchild (Hackney) looked after our dad, and we are so grateful with the service we had. We primarily dealt with Donna and Deanna, however the entire team that we met were lovely. We were met with a lot of empathy, and at…

M Devlin

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I cannot express enough how grateful my family and I are for the exceptional service and support we received from James Hawes & Goodchild Funeral Directors during such a difficult time. Losing a loved one is never easy, but having a compassionate and professional team…

Peter Cybuch

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 020 8527 1508 visit branch or arrange a home visit