OUR STORY
Clandon Wood is an award-winning natural woodland and meadow burial reserve in the Surrey Hills – a calm and sustainable alternative to conventional cemeteries.
Planned as a burial reserve but designed as a nature reserve, Clandon Wood is very much about life and renewal through nature. The creation of a self-sustaining, wildlife environment is the answer to the enduring question: how do we find enough space to accommodate human burials responsibly?
Two fields, nestling between the villages of East and West Clandon at the foot of the Surrey Hills, had lain fallow for the proceeding 8 years. The site now thrives, with over forty eight species of wildflowers and grasses giving us a flowering season well into the autumn. A new lake and wetland has also been created to attract wild-fowl, wading birds and aquatics. Recently planted native trees including oak, beech, hornbeam, lime and silver birch create a young flourishing woodland. Using traditional woodland management practices, the developing woodland will become productive, securing its future and flourishing for generations to come.
The built structures are also environmentally responsible. A beautiful glass walled pavilion and finely-appointed facilities will support secular or spiritual funeral and memorial services, providing a wholly natural alternative to conventional funerals.
Awards include:
Cemetery of the Year – 2014
Best Natural Burial Ground in the UK – 2014
The Green Flag Award – 2014
