A couple of weeks ago we carried out two green burials within a few days of each other. They were at different burial grounds so, whilst essentially the same thing, they were very different in their approach.
The first one was at Hill Holt Wood in their recently opened burial ground at Norton Big Wood. The ceremony was held in the Round Room at Hill Holt, led by one of our local secular ceremony officiants. The room was packed to overflowing with mourners, I think it says a lot about a person when so many people take the time to come and pay their respects and say goodbye. After the ceremony we made our way to Big Wood, a drive of a couple of miles on the country lanes to avoid going on the A46. The burial area is a good five minute walk into the woods from the car park, the coffin is carried on a suitably adapted trailer pulled by a small tractor. This might sound a little odd but is entirely in keeping with the feel and ethos of the burial ground. The burials take place in a cleared glade round an old, established oak tree. The number of burials round each tree will be limited but the woodland is large, as the name suggests, so space is not an issue.
The second burial was at Brightwater Green Burial Meadow, near Saxby. On this occasion we all met at the graveside and the brief ceremony was conducted by family members. The mourners then went to the Barn, about half a mile away, which is available for ceremonies and refreshments, to continue with an informal ceremony and an exhibition of the deceased’s photographic work. The burial ground is very different to Hill Holt in that it is open meadow with areas of newly planted trees. At the moment it has a very open feel, with big Lincolnshire skies around you. As the trees grow, the site will change but will always be predominantly a meadow.
It is good to have burial grounds that, whilst offering what is basically the same facility, have such variation in how that is achieved. They are both radically different from the ‘standard’ cemetery with neat cut lawns and rows of headstones and are also different from each other.