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Tarn Moor Memorial Woodland is a natural burial ground in Skipton, North Yorkshire. Open since 2002, the woodland is part of the 10-acre Tarn Moor Memorial Estate. The site has a mix of open glade areas, meadows and woodlands with footpaths making navigation easy. It is very close to where I live so I went to have look last week and was super impressed with it, and the whole concept of natural burials. Some may find the subject morbid, but why? None of us are getting out of here alive so why not explore your options and put plans in place so that your loved ones don’t have to guess what you might have wanted when it is too late to have any input. That’s my view anyway.
So what is the concept of a natural burial site? Well, in these days of heightened environmental awareness we are forced to consider the impact on the environment of most, if not all aspects of our lives. So why should that stop when we die? It appears that for many, it doesn’t, and there are now around 270 woodland burial sites like Tarn Moor across the UK. The concept is that through our own death, we can give back to nature, something to be enjoyed for generations to come – A living memorial. Tarn Moor offers a complete green burial service offering natural burial plots, ashes plots and also space for the scattering of ashes.
The first green burial ground was developed in 1994 at Carlisle, adjacent to the existing cemetery and is run by Carlisle City Council. Cemeteries and churchyards, including Craven, are filling to capacity, making the woodland burial a very practical option, and affording many choices.
The first thing that strikes you as “different” is the lack of grave markers, head stones if you will, and director Becky Swales, who, along with her business partner Chris manages the site, tells me that sometimes, this is what people find hard to grasp. Of course, there is accurate plotting and recording in place, and loved ones are provided with an exact GPS location of a grave, but usually there is some way of locating the position of a grave, an adjacent fence post, or tree for example. And you are allowed to scatter wild flower seeds, or plant bulbs on graves, but everything must be natural so no plastic flowers, ornaments, vases or candles. There are some stone monoliths that can be engraved by Chris if desired, as he is also a stonemason.
What you are left with is a place of great beauty. There are wooden benches around the site, which is always open by the way, and it is a stunning place to sit, reflect and remember, against a back drop of the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales.
Tarn Moor is registered with the Association of Natural Burial Grounds and the Natural Death Centre, and as such, abides by the relevant codes of conduct. The type of coffin used must be biodegradable, with no plastic handles or parts. Wicker, cardboard, willow and pine coffins are popular choices, and it is even possible to use a very simple shroud.
Regarding fees, you will need to refer to their website, link below, but I can tell you that having researched fees at local council run cemeteries where the purchase of a plot with excavation is approaching £2500, you may well be pleasantly surprised.
Oh, and my favourite bit I left to the end. There is an area of Tarn Moor Memorial Woodland just for pets!! There are around 180 dogs, cats, rabbits and even guinea pigs resting there, their names and dates of passing lovingly etched onto a nearby monolith. Just wonderful.
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