We are sorry for your loss and please be assured that we have been helping people mark the end of life for generations. From the moment you are in touch with us, throughout the funeral service, and for as long as you need us afterwards, we are here for you. Not only are we in most cases the cheapest way to have a funeral and burial or interment of ashes (in fact, it is free if the person who died was under 18 or still-born), we are here for everyone, regardless of whether the person who has died or the person asking is religious or not. We will take the funeral for anyone who lives or has died in our parishes, and will allow for their remains to be laid to rest in our churchyards.
We can conduct funerals either in
- our churches
- our churchyards (at the graveside)
- a crematorium chapel
- a natural burial ground
If you choose to have us conduct a funeral then it is often better to contact us before you contact a funeral director. We can talk through some of the decisions about the funeral that you might wish to take on the phone and talk about potential dates. This would then be followed up by us meeting, so we can listen to the story of the person you knew, and will go through all the possibilities of the funeral service itself in more detail. From this meeting, using our wealth of experience and shaped by your wishes, we will develop a funeral that is personal and honouring of the person you knew. Some of the things that we can discuss will include:
- Where and when the funeral will take place
- The structure of the day including where the funeral could move from one location to another
- Flowers and personal items at the service such as photos or memorabilia
- Music and hymns, if and how they are sung or use of recordings
- Readings and who might read them
- A tribute or eulogy and who might lead it
- Special prayers that might reflect work or a hobby that was important or those who mourn and cared during a final illness by name
All of this can help a personal story of a unique life be honoured and marked in a way that others have down the centuries, and allow their remains to be laid at rest with others from the community, where you will be free spend time when you wish to sit and think and light a candle and maybe say a prayer inside the church to hold your needs before God. We will also always be a place for you to talk and, at our services are always other people who have also lost people who they love and were very close to. In fact, the care that you receive following the funeral is what makes church funerals stand out and, in addition to the love and friendship that you receive, we hold annual memorial services where the name of your loved one can have their name read out and you can light a candle to hold them before God.
However sad and long the bereavement journey takes, the Christian message is one of hope and comfort, and it is particularly pertinent when considering big questions such as where our loved one is now and whether we might join with them one day. Our funerals never lose sight of this ultimate reality.
If you would like us to lead the funeral, please contact us by filling in the form below.
Burial of Cremated Remains
If you have had a cremation service, then the final part will be burying the ashes. This might either happen within a few days or weeks of the funeral or some time later at your choosing, where we would lead a short, simple but dignified ceremony for your loved one’s final laying to rest.
Monuments
Bodies or ashes that are buried in one of our churchyards may have a headstone or ledger stone to mark the grave. There are several choices to consider, such as the size, style, material used and colour, and then of course the inscription. It is important to understand what is permitted in Norfolk and the regulations can be found here. We can only authorise what is permitted within these regulations by completing and returning to us the form that can be found here in duplicate along with a sketch of the proposed monument, but any stonemason in Norfolk should be familiar with working within these regulations and should be able to offer you advice.