Return to Earth, naturally

Woodland burial or green burial is not for everyone but if you love the countryside and care for the environment it offers you a real choice to do something positive at the end of your life.

A natural burial is an environmentally sustainable and often less expensive alternative to existing funeral practices where the body is returned to the earth to decompose naturally and be recycled into new life.

Planning for your own or someone else’s funeral is something we all have to consider at some point in our lives. We highly recommend you arrange to meet us and have a guided tour of the natural burial ground; let us show you this unique and special corner of South Lakeland.

“Do not stand at my grave and weep:
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.”

Mary Elizabeth Frye (1905-2004)

What is a green burial

Woodland Burial or Natural Burial or Green Burial are terms used to describe the burial of human remains where the burial area creates habitat for wildlife or preserves existing habitats which are rich in flora and fauna.

Where a funeral precedes such burial, it would seek to minimise environmental impact by prohibiting embalming and where a coffin is used, ensuring that this be made of natural biodegradable materials.

Natural Burial or Green Burial is a statement of personal values for many people who seek to minimise their impact on the planet and make a positive contribution to tackling climate change. For people who are mindful of the cyclical nature of all life, natural burial is a spiritually fulfilling alternative to the conventional funeral.

“No motion has she now, no force;
She neither hears nor sees;
Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course,
With rocks, and stones, and trees.”

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Woodland Burial

The Dalton Natural Woodland Burial Ground is set in mature mixed woodland at the foot of Dalton Crags at the heart of the Dalton Hall Estate, Burton-in-Kendal, Cumbria. From the summit of Dalton Crags there is a 360 degree panoramic view over Morecambe Bay, the Lake District, the Howgill Fells, the Lune Valley, Ingleborough, the Bowland Fells and on the clearest of days the faint outline of the mountains of Snowdonia can be seen far to the south west.

In January 2023 the Dalton Woodland Burial Ground was named by The Natural Death Centre as The Best Natural Burial Ground in the North of England for the 6th time.