Last year, Neil Richardson attended the opening of the Chiltern Woodland Burial Park, situated at Potkiln Lane, Jordans, Buckinghamshire. The morning was full of interest and surprises and all the guests were made to feel thoroughly welcome with smiling and accommodating staff, very nice refreshments and an excellent lunch. Pity about the weather!

The company’s statement of values reads, “We respect people of all origins, cultures, faiths and beliefs.” They interpret that as meaning that the symbols of the official religion of the country are no longer acceptable in the design of the buildings. At this point, it did feel that we had arrived in a post-Christian world.

The owners of the enterprise were selling it as, “Uniquely peaceful and uplifting, the beautiful surroundings offer a natural alternative to conventional funeral options.” In conversation, I learned that cremations are a very eco-unfriendly method for the disposal of human remains and the owners envisage that the current generation of young people, who will be dying in 30 or 40 years’ time, will want to opt for a burial rather than a cremation on the grounds that it is better for the environment. But they wouldn’t want the traditional cemetery approach, with the usual features of broken and un-cared-for monuments, over-the-top stone carvings of kitsch angels, and tacky epitaphs.

When questioned about the need for more and more land, we were told that the whole burial park, could, if necessary, be recycled after about 100 years, as the mourners would themselves have passed on and the human remains buried would be virtually nonexistent. Here we have the ultimate expression of the contemporary adage “reduce, reuse and recycle”.

Graham told me that his brief had been to design “a sacred non-denominational building”, which, at first sight, seems a tall order to achieve without specific religious reference points; but, in fact, he has achieved it remarkably well. The roofs are inspired by “reciprocal-frame geometry” and look beautiful, leading the eye upwards to the sky. The principles are encapsulated by seven points on the journey that the mourners will undertake.

The sevenfold vision is expressed in the seven sections and seven sides that may be seen at every turn in the ceremonial buildings. The start of the journey is the gate of the burial park, where there is a focus on the reality of what is going to take place. Then, the mourners will enter the Gathering Hall, where they meet each other – some after long periods of separation – greet each other and socialise, perhaps with refreshments.

From the Gathering Hall, the mourners will get a view of the Woodland Hall, suggesting something sacred and final, and this gives mourners a focus on which to reflect and prepare for what is coming. Then, crossing the connecting space, the courtyard, the mourners will enter the Woodland Hall, where they begin to accept that they will soon be separating from their loved one’s body.

Looking up, through the roof light, they will perhaps reflect on Heaven’s Gate. Then comes the doorway from the Woodland Hall and out to the woodland, where the burial will take place. As they move through the ceremony, they may reflect on the timeless nature of love.

Finally, there comes the journey to the grave, the final gateway. After the burial, the mourners may return to the Gathering Hall for time together or even refreshments, for which the facilities are available.

Graham Brown deliberately chose seven-sided structures for the ceremonial buildings because the number seven is, in tradition, a sacred number, which supports the exploration of the mysteries of life and death. He designed six-sided buildings for the office, where logical thought processes are expected for the running of the business.

He described typical Victorian cemeteries as “the backdrop to many a horror film” and reminded us that cemeteries are as much about the needs of the living as those of the dead. He drew on an image from the Judeao-Christian heritage to promote the message that all humanity comes from the earth and will return to the earth, and he said that the woodland-burial concept embodied this pivotal point of ancient wisdom. He then turned to the glass doors out into the woodland and spoke words of dedication.

Struti Dharma Dasa, of the Krishna Consciousness Society, made an amusing speech and then sang a prayer from the Upanishads in Sanskrit, and Carole Warren of Interfaith Ministry read a section of words from Kalil Gibran.

I am sorry to say that some of the other speakers misused their slot by promoting their particular worldview or brand of doing funerals. Chris Howe of the Institute of Civil Funerals waded in with unnecessary crowing by telling us that, five years ago, 181 civil funerals were performed, while last year there had been 3,013.

I took a ride, of course, thinking I would enjoy the experience – and I did, accompanied by a group of similarly interested professionals.

The woodland is typically untidy and unruly and will be fairly cheap to maintain, unlike the overmanicured flower beds and lawns of a typical crematorium.

What I did not expect was a sense of grief when, enjoying the woodland scene, one suddenly came upon a grave. In a cemetery, you expect it and you go there only if you want to experience it.

For people who are constantly dealing with funerals and graves and crematoria, there is always a struggle to separate out their own feelings from the grief of others. It is very easy to become involved at an inappropriate level, or, at the other extreme, to retain distance by flippancy or coarse humour. After 25 years of funeral taking, I was surprised by the negative impact these woodland graves had on me.

Was there anything inadequate about this facility? I could spot only one thing, which was the room where people could inspect the names inscribed in a memorial book.

Memorial rooms are often little spaces and heavy with the scent of floral tributes. Chiltern Burial Park has provided a very small space that is, in contrast to all else, very poky and not at all friendly or beautiful. Perhaps there are plans to develop this aspect in future.

The Bishop of Buckingham said to me after the ceremony that, in conventional cemeteries, the older the cemetery the higher the maintenance costs and, by contrast, the lower the income, due to diminishing space available for new burials. This project will not experience that financial crisis and so it is very likely to be successful financially.

I came away from this ceremony impressed by the thought and effort that had been made to introduce a new approach to funerals that is designed “to surpass the expectations of all those we serve”, as the values statement puts it. I felt confident that the burial park would be a roaring success and I left with positive feelings for the staff and the whole project.

I am sad in a way that the Christian faith is not at the heart of the building design, but we do live in changed times and we Christians have to “get over it” and live in the real world.
 

Neil Richardson has been the rector of the Parish of Greenford Magna in Middlesex since 1982. He is also a Prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral and an Honorary Alderman of the London Borough of Ealing. He has been a member of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) since the 1970s.