More people in South Ayrshire opt for woodland burials

Jan 23 2009 by Edwin Lawrence

MORE people in South Ayrshire are choosing a natural end to their lives.

And they are opting for woodland burial – a service now offered by South Ayrshire Council.

There is a now a woodland burial section at the back of the new Monkton cemetery.

It is set beside mature woodland and open farmland.

The grass is only cut once a year to add to the natural feel.

A council report says: “This type of funeral is not for people who want to visit a neat and tidy grave, or have a traditional memorial stone.”

The rising demand for woodland burials has led the council to produce a set of management rules.

Coffins must be biodegradable, in materials like wicker, bamboo, unvarnished wood or cardboard.

Although there will be no headstones, the council will record graves on a plan, and there will be a microchip at the head of each grave to make it easy to identify.

There can only be one burial or one set of ashes in each lair.

Funeral flowers will be removed from a grave after around two weeks, but the council is regularly planting bulbs, to add to the woodland plant life.

Although there are no headstones, the council have built a wall for memorial plaques.

These must be made of natural materials such as bronze or granite. But these must be no bigger than eight inches by six inches.

The council has also updated its management rules for cemeteries in general.

And Councillor Ian Cavana said he welcomed the updates.

But he said: “As someone born and bred in Ayr, and wishing to die and be buried here, I believe our prices are higher than the other two Ayrshire authorities.”

Deputy chief executive Graham Peterkin admitted: “It’s my understanding that the charges we make tend to be higher than those in East and North Ayrshire.”

And he told councillors at the full meeting of South Ayrshire Council that he would be happy to circulate details of charges.