The natural way to go

An East Lothian woodland is proving a popular final resting place

Sarah and Ben Gray own Binning Wood, 300 acres of woodland in the beautiful East Lothian countryside. It was here among the beech, larch, Scots pine and douglas fir trees that they decided to create a green burial ground which, as well as ensuring that the wood remains economically viable, will guarantee its future forever – since the area is designated as a burial ground, no building will be permitted on the land.

Binning Memorial Wood provides an environmentally friendly burial. Caskets and coffins must be biodegradable, meaning they can be made from wicker, willow, wool or untreated wood. In fact, a burial at Binning Wood allows loved ones to make personal choices that they might not otherwise have been able to make. If they don’t want to use the services of an undertaker they can transport the deceased to the burial site themselves, they can have a ceremony of any denomination either in the wood or beforehand, and they can select flowers, even picking them from their own gardens for a truly personal touch.

Sarah and Ben have seen an increase in the number of people choosing their final resting place in advance. ‘It’s not just elderly or terminally ill people who want to plan their own burials,’ says Sarah. ‘A lot of people want to take the stress away from their loved ones at what is always a difficult time. With us they are able to choose which part of the wood they would like to be buried in and to organise their own minister or humanist celebrant.’

Most of Binning Memorial Wood’s business comes through word of mouth, as Sarah explains: ‘Often people who come to the wood for a burial service love the surroundings so much that they tell others about it or even plan a burial here for themselves.’

It is important to Sarah and Ben that the woodland remains a place that local people can enjoy as well as somewhere that families can come to remember their loved ones. ‘We only use a small section of the wood as a burial ground,’ she says. ‘The rest is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders.’ As an alternative to the traditional cemetery, it’s proving the natural choice. www.binningwood.co.uk