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WHEN people talk about burials they often think, headstones, grass trimmed within a few centimetres and pots of cut flowers. They are a place that focuses on the fact people have died, rather than the fact they have lived. However, at a natural burial ground, there is a very different feel to your traditional burial ground. There are no headstones to tend. Wildflowers buzzing with bees greet you, and the grass waving in the wind chirps with the sound of grasshoppers. It is a place that focuses on life and good memories, not death. 

We got to experience this when we visited Pembrokeshire Natural Burial Ground who are celebrating their first year of offering natural burials in our beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside. As they prepare for their open day on the 14th of August 2021 it got them thinking about what people may like to know about their natural burial ground. How it works and how they can help those who wish to choose eco-friendly choices whether they opt for cremation or burial. They have explained a little bit more to us about who they are, what they can offer and how they can help families to create personal, unhurried funerals. 

Pembrokeshire natural burials sit within the heart of Pembrokeshire by the village of Keeston. They are about 5 minutes from Haverfordwest and Newgale and are the first natural burial ground in Pembrokeshire. As you arrive at the meadow you are greeted by easy parking and new native hedgerows that are filled with wildflowers in the spring and summer. Venture slightly further and the breathtaking view of the Preseli Mountains in the distance welcomes you into the meadow. 

Sarah said that the natural burial ground works on an eco-friendly ethos, ‘we put back into the ground what we take out of it. It’s about offering something personal to the families that use us while supporting native habitats’. At the natural burial ground families can have a meadow burial and sprinkle native wildflowers. They also have a corner where they are offering new native woodland plots. Ashes can be interred in plots or as part of a natural burial. There is also the option to include pets ashes as part of natural burial as they understand this is important. While they have a designated area for natural pet burial and pets ashes. 

Natural burial is often a choice for those who love nature and being in the countryside and we can see why. Sarah explained to us that they work with nature. During the summer the wild grasses and wildflowers grow, when autumn approaches they mow the meadow ready to welcome next year’s wildflowers. In the summer months mowed winding paths lead you through the wild grasses to areas where funerals can gather. These are managed in a very sympathetic way to fit in with the natural surroundings. Around the meadow, you can wander the permissive walk, while people are welcome to visit from dawn to dusk throughout the year. 

Managing the natural burial ground in this way also allows the land to be used sustainably and in current times we have realised the importance of sustainable development. It is something that we are starting to consider in everyday life. Why should the same not be said for the choices we make when we die? On occasion, you may even find the natural lawn mowers grazing the lower part of the meadow. Sarah said, ‘natural burial allows us to leave the lightest of footprints when we are gone.’ 

Memorials are not placed on graves to allow the natural burial ground to be managed sustainably and remain as natural as possible, however, there is a beautiful welsh oak memorial frame in the meadow. This houses simple welsh slate memorials for those who wish to have a memorial in the meadow. The natural burial ground also offers memorial trees and dedications for those who wish to have a tree in honour of a loved one. 

You will find a few places in the meadow where you can stop, sit, remember and reflect but these are natural and down to earth. They include reused logs and a recycled water trough that was discovered when they were re-establishing the meadow. When the meadow was first purchased in 2019 it was very overgrown. Re-establishing the meadow has now encouraged wildlife-rich habitats. The natural burial ground also has plans that include re-establishing their wetland and building a memorial shelter. It is very much a work in progress and has already created a wonderfully wild meadow, full of birds, bees and the love of all those that have found a haven there. But take our word for it, if this is something you are interested in go and have a look for yourself.

Pembrokeshire Natural Burials is hosting its first open day on Saturday the 14th of August 2021. Sarah said that all are welcome, there will be coffee and cake. You can find out more about natural burial, eco-friendly funeral ideas and their nature projects. There is even a nature hunt inspired by their 7-year-old nature lover Jesse. Dogs are welcome too if you want to go and explore their permissive walk. If you are not free on this day you can always pop by in your own time or arrange a visit with Sarah at another time.

If you want to see what natural burial is about for yourself they are hosting an open day at Pembrokeshire Natural Burials. This is on Saturday the 14th of August 2021 between 10 am and 4 pm. You can pop along, grab a coffee with them. You can even take the dog for a wander around their permissive walk and get involved in a nature hunt around the meadow.

www.pembrokshirenaturalburials.co.uk

Pembrokeshire Natural Burials, Bridge Lane, Keeston, SA62 6EE

Contact Sarah: 07780 764 715  / [email protected]

@pembrokeshirenaturalburials 

TO FEATURE YOUR BUSINESS ON THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD WEBSITE CALL 01646 454545