How Does Natural (Woodland) Burial Work in the UK?

Detailed Explanation

This page covers the UK. For what natural burial is and how it compares with other options in general, start with what is a natural burial.

The UK is where the modern natural burial movement began. The idea of woodland burial was put forward in 1989 by Ken West, then manager of Carlisle Cemetery, and in 1993 Carlisle City Council opened the UK's first natural burial ground on an unused part of the municipal cemetery. Other councils followed, and private, charity-run and farm-based sites came later. In 1994 the Natural Death Centre charity set up the Association of Natural Burial Grounds (ANBG). By 2009 the Ministry of Justice counted more than 220 natural burial grounds in the UK, and more have opened since.

"Woodland burial" and "natural burial" are used almost interchangeably in the UK, though not every site is woodland. Many are wildflower meadows, orchards, or managed farmland.

Who runs natural burial grounds, and how they're regulated

The rules depend on who owns the ground. In England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice's guidance for operators:

• Council-run cemeteries, including their natural sections, are covered by the Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977.
• Church of England churchyards fall under ecclesiastical law.
• Privately owned natural burial grounds are not covered by the 1977 Order and are "largely unregulated", apart from general law on planning, environmental protection, and keeping a burial register.

The ANBG has a code of practice that members sign up to, but membership is voluntary and the association doesn't inspect or approve its members. In practice, the ground's own rules and reputation matter more than any external standard, which is why it pays to read them carefully. How do you choose a natural burial ground sets out the questions to ask.

Paperwork before and after the burial

A natural burial needs the same legal authority as any other. In England and Wales:

1. The death is registered with the local register office. The registrar issues a certificate for burial or cremation (often called the "green form"). If the death has been reported to a coroner, the coroner issues an order for burial instead.
2. The family or funeral director gives that certificate or order to the burial ground before the burial.
3. The burial ground (or whoever carries out the burial) notifies the registrar of the date and place of burial within 96 hours.

There's no legally fixed interval between the death and the burial beyond the time the paperwork takes.

Grave depth

For council cemeteries, the rule in England and Wales is a minimum of three feet of soil from the top of the coffin to ground level. Where the soil is suitable, coffins of perishable materials can be placed shallower, but never less than two feet below the surrounding ground. The Ministry of Justice recommends private natural burial grounds follow the same rule. The Environment Agency's groundwater guidance also shapes where graves can be dug on a site.

Burial on private land

There's no law in England and Wales against being buried on private land, which makes the UK unusually permissive compared with Australia or much of the US. Council guidance generally sets out these points:

• The landowner's permission is needed (in writing is best), and the deeds should be checked for restrictive covenants.
• The death must be registered and the registrar's certificate obtained first, then the registrar notified within 96 hours of the burial.
• Planning permission isn't usually needed for a single grave, but several burials may count as a change of use, and a memorial may need consent.
• The Environment Agency's guidelines apply, for example at least 30 metres from any spring or standing or running water, 10 metres from a dry ditch or field drain, and 50 metres from any well or borehole supplying water.
• A simple burial record with a plan of the grave's location should be kept with the property deeds.

A home grave can affect a property's future sale, so it's a decision to make with the whole family, and with a solicitor if the land is mortgaged or jointly owned.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland has its own law under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016, which is being brought into force in stages through new regulations on burial ground management, applications for burial, and private burial. Under the Act, a private burial outside a recognised burial ground needs authorisation from the local authority once the relevant provisions are in force. Anyone planning a natural or private burial in Scotland should check the current position with the local council. Northern Ireland has separate legislation again, and the council is the starting point there too.

Costs

Prices are set by each ground and vary widely by region and by whether the site is council-run, charitable, or commercial. Typical savings come from the simpler coffin and the absence of a headstone. Some grounds sell only a small plaque or a tree, others allow no marker at all. Ask each ground for a full price list covering the plot (or right of burial), digging, any marker or planting, and any ongoing fees, and compare it with a conventional option on the same basis.

Things to Consider

• Ownership tells you the rules. A council woodland section follows the 1977 Order; a private site sets many of its own rules. Ask what happens to the ground and its records if the operator closes or sells.
• Ask how long the right of burial lasts. Terms differ between grounds, and some private sites are clearer than others about what the family is actually buying.
• Shroud and coffin rules vary. Many grounds accept shrouds and wicker, cardboard or untreated timber coffins, but some have restrictions. Check before ordering.
• Keep the grave reference. With no headstone, the ground's plan reference or GPS point is how the family finds the grave. Adding it to an online memorial keeps it with the photos and stories for relatives who live far away.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming ANBG membership means inspection. It's a voluntary code, not a licence. Visit the ground and read its rules.
• Treating home burial as paperwork-free. Registration, the green form, and the 96-hour notice all still apply, and the Environment Agency distances rule out many gardens.
• Assuming English rules apply in Scotland. Scotland's burial law is separate and changing; check locally.
• Leaving the embalming question to the funeral director. If the ground doesn't accept embalmed bodies, that needs to be said at the first conversation.