The Best Locations For Land Burials

If you would like to bury a loved one's ashes in the earth, you have far more freedom than with a traditional burial, and a wide choice of meaningful places. This guide covers the main options for a land burial of ashes, from your own garden to a woodland burial ground.

Quick answer: Ashes can be buried in your own garden (legal on your own land in the UK), in a cemetery or churchyard grave, in a crematorium's garden of remembrance, in a columbarium niche, or in a natural woodland burial ground. There is no time limit on burying ashes, and for any burial in the soil you should use a biodegradable urn so it returns to the earth naturally.

In your own garden

It is perfectly legal to bury ashes on your own land in the UK, and it keeps a loved one close, with no rules or regulations to follow. You can create a personal memorial spot that means something to your family. The one thing to consider is the future: if you move home, you may no longer be able to visit, and moving buried ashes later needs an exhumation licence. A biodegradable urn is the right choice so it breaks down into the soil.

In a grave

Ashes can be buried in a cemetery or churchyard, either directly or inside an urn within a burial plot. Unlike a full burial there is no time limit on when you do this. Many families choose to bury ashes in an existing family grave, which requires being the next of kin with exclusive burial rights or the grave owner's permission, so a loved one can rest with relatives who came before.

In a crematorium garden of remembrance

A garden of remembrance is an area within a cemetery set aside for those who have been cremated, a tranquil place for family to reflect and visit. Options usually include a ground burial of the ashes (the interment of ashes), a personalised headstone or marker, a memorial bench, a columbarium niche, or a scattering garden.

Columbarium and memorial benches

A columbarium is a wall, room or building with niches that hold cremated remains, each marked so family can find their loved one. A niche often has space for several urns, so relatives can rest together. A memorial bench is another option: some can even be cored to hold ashes inside, creating a place to sit and remember wherever you choose to place it.

Woodland and natural burial grounds

A woodland or green burial returns a loved one to nature, surrounded by trees and wildlife, with far less impact on the environment. A biodegradable urn is required so it breaks down into the earth. Rather than a headstone, many sites mark the spot with a memorial tree or a small plaque, preserving the natural beauty of the woodland.

For the practical side, see our guide on how cremation urns are buried, and for a memorial at home, how to create a memorial garden. If you would prefer to scatter rather than bury, our scattering tubes make it cleaner.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bury ashes in my own garden?

Yes. In the UK it is legal to bury ashes on your own land. Use a biodegradable urn so it returns to the soil, and bear in mind you may not be able to visit if you move home, as relocating buried ashes later needs an exhumation licence.

Do I need a biodegradable urn for a land burial?

For burial directly in the soil, yes. A biodegradable urn breaks down naturally and returns the ashes to the earth. Cemeteries and woodland burial grounds generally require one.

Can ashes be buried in an existing family grave?

Yes, with permission. You need to be the next of kin holding the exclusive burial rights, or have the grave owner's consent, so a loved one can rest alongside relatives.

Is there a time limit on burying ashes?

No. Unlike a traditional burial, there is no time limit on burying cremated ashes, so you can take as long as you need to decide on the right place.