Natural Burial in Swansea at Oystermouth Cemetery

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The ICCM Journal | Autumn 2013 | V81 No. 3

natural burial in Swansea at Oystermouth cemetery I am Registrar of Cemeteries and Crematorium in Swansea with responsibility for managing the day to day operation of the crematorium and seven municipal cemeteries across the City.

I have always personally been interested in environmental/ conservation issues and through my work, I have been able to introduce some of my own ideas into our cemeteries i.e. biodegradable waste bins, recycling wood from fallen/ diseased trees, installing habitat piles and bird and bat boxes.

Ten years ago we were receiving enquiries from the general public for a natural alternative to conventional burial and cremation options, so we considered the idea of introducing a natural burial facility; though, we had no idea where or how it would come about, so it was raised at team briefing for consideration.

However, all it took was some inspired thinking by our cemetery supervisor at Oystermouth, Andy Parsons, and in no time at all, an area of woodland – that would have been difficult and wasteful to turn into traditional burial land – was quickly established as an appealing and realistic option.

Due to the fact that it was already part of the existing cemetery, there was very little establishment cost involved.

In fact, two days work for a JCB was all that was needed.

Additional planting of young trees took place and seed was sown to provide seasonal covering and colour. A rustic gate entrance way was installed and some seating made from locally felled trees completed the picture.

Cemetery Supervisor Andy Parsons at the entrance to the Oystermouth Woodland Burial Ground

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Lyndon Elsey

Beautiful, natural surroundings; Peaceful but not isolated; Greater choice of type/style funeral; Use of natural materials; All graves prepared by hand to allow biodiversity to flourish.

To achieve this, we established the following guiding principles:-

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Kind to nature; No pollution; Pleasant surroundings; Celebrate a life by giving new life; Low maintenance; Low risk of neglect – nature will take care; Support wildlife; We all need trees; Zero carbon footprint.

The first burial took place at the section on 7th April 2003 of a gentleman from Oxford; even though the site was not entirely complete at that stage, when the applicant (daughter of deceased) was introduced to the section beforehand, she exclaimed that it was the perfect location they had been searching for and she consequently felt that such a weight had been lifted. This was the positive feedback that we needed to inspire forward thinking in developing the service to what it is today.

The landscape of the site is very natural, where the grass is cut only once a year and no chemicals are used. New trees (UK native only) are carefully planted to complement existing mature trees – all being allowed to flourish and remain, whilst also being able to accommodate burials.

This approach reinforces the concept of life's regular renewal and creates a meaningful memorial to past lives.

Our strategic objective was to provide a natural burial facility that offered the following:© Institute of Cemetery & Crematorium Management (Inc.)

Graves are prepared by hand for one depth and after each burial, UK native woodland seed is sown to encourage biodiversity and wildlife to flourish. Woodland planting can ensure a pleasant visual aspect all year round and can highlight the expectancy of seasonal trends and when different flowers can be anticipated, though at times it might appear that there is not much happening.

The ICCM Journal | Autumn 2013 | V81 No. 3

To increase the choice to families, wooden grave markers – made on site – can be placed, which, in time, will 'weather' down and return to the soil. Locally sourced coffins and caskets are made from natural materials including cardboard, wicker or wood from a sustainable source and a wool or cotton shroud can also be chosen.

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Each burial enhances the habitat in contributing to the formation and preservation of natural and beautiful woodland, whilst offering an appropriate environment for remembrance, meditation and quiet contemplation.

Ten years on and over 100 burials have been accommodated in the site and a great deal of interest has been generated with enquiries for future 'intentions'.

Environmental issues may not have featured too prominently previously with regard to bereavement, possibly due to the extreme sensitivity and lack of awareness of the subject.

However, this view is changing as environmental issues become increasingly important. The inclusion of the cremation process in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the more recent mercury abatement legislation are examples of this, together with the concept of natural burial. Services associated with bereavement may have more impact perhaps than initially considered and so improvements in this area are very relevant to 'acting locally – thinking globally'.

Winter, with Andy Parsons

Feedback has been extremely positive and some burials have taken place of people who lived outside the local authority area. Having visited alternative sites, families were convinced that Oystermouth was indeed the most natural setting and could provide them with the burial choice they required. Regular cards and letters received are a true testament to the overall service provided with families describing the site as “the perfect setting” and our cemetery supervisor Andy as “an outstanding asset to Swansea”.

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I fully support the ICCM Natural Burial Charter and look forward to seeing it develop to include existing natural burial ground operators and to encourage those authorities that are considering the idea. I personally look forward to undertaking the Charter assessment for Swansea and investing in training and development for my staff to improve our service further; as we strive to develop natural burial nationally, we need to share our knowledge and experiences with each other, so we can all be better prepared to provide the right choices for the bereaved and at the same time, make a positive environmental impact in our cemeteries.

Lyndon Elsey © Institute of Cemetery & Crematorium Management (Inc.)