Our site is starting small with plenty of room to grow as the years go by. We are structuring our woodland and burials in two parts. The centre of the field will be for burials with the planting of taller trees, the outer part of the woodland will be for interments with the planting of small to medium height trees. This will provide wildlife with a wide range of habitats and food sources and ensure the woodland fits gently in the landscape.
There will be gated parking for approximately 20 cars and a wooden reflection shelter with seating for around 20 people. We ask people to close the gates when they depart.
Our vision is to create a place for nature in which people can rest peacefully, as such we are keeping built infrastructure to a minimum. Our site does not have utility services, meaning no lighting, WC, or bin; please factor this into your visit.
There are public services along with shops in Wainfleet town centre and several nice pubs nearby for family meals.
Going green means aiming for minimal unnatural additions to the woodland. We therefore ask that no plastic is included with any flowers that are left on site. Your funeral director will also be able to talk to you about natural coffins. Please be aware that if a loved one has been embalmed, they will need to be cremated to be intered in our wood. We cannot accept an embalmed burial due to the chemicals used during embalming.
If flower planting is something you would like to do, please ask us. We will look to provide you with native flower seed or bulbs for planting. This helps keep the woodland native and create a complementary eco-system.
A woodland is a living organism and will mature into a regenerating forest. The trees we plant are the catalyst for nature to do what it does best and thrive. Over generations of trees, the neat rows we plant will give way to the shapes and forms nature desires. The trees we plant will serve as resting place markers for years to come and in time will give way to other self-set trees in the natural course of woodlands. You will be contributing to the diversity of nature and will become part of the woodland's collective memory.
Planting - we will plant your tree in the planting season (usually February) following the burial or interment. This gives the tree the best chance of thriving. At first the tree will be small, very small, depending on species and growing conditions between 20 and 60cm. Planting small is best for the tree. Transplanting large trees causes root damage that can take many years to recover from; over 5 years a planted 40cm tree will usually outgrow a planted 2-3m tree of the same species. We will provide tree protection and replacement for 5 years to ensure your tree establishes successfully.
Growing - a growing woodland needs light, air and careful management to do well. As the woodland grows we will look after it as a whole eco-system. Each tree species offers unique support for a variety of wildlife. Some trees offer flowers, others fruits, seeds or shelter, some even living over a century. All have a part to play. Wildlife support continues even once the tree has finished its life cycle making way for the next generation of trees. Even fallen wood is an essential habitat, giving homes to insects and fungi.
Maintaining - once part of the woodland has become mature (we are probably beyond 2060 now) our intention is to manage our woodland as a mature native woodland. This will mean the selective harvesting of trees, which has the benefit of allowing new light to the woodland floor for new trees to grow. This restructuring is how the woodland will transition from manmade rows into a multi-age regenerative native woodland.
We have selected 15 species of tree for the time being. This list may change in the years to come. We have chosen these trees because they are appropriate to this soil and climate, they are not poisonous and don't suffer from major disease threats. We are sad that Ash and Elm are not currently on our list but they are just not long term viable until resistant strains have been selectively bred.
Our woodland is in two parts; the ashes wood, which has small to medium height trees and the burial wood, which has tall trees. This gives a broad range of habitats.
Ashes Wood Species: Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Holly, Hazel, Field Maple, Rowan, Elder, Wild Service Tree.
Burial Wood Species: Oak, Hornbeam, Small Leaved Lime, Aspen, Wild Cherry, Silver Birch, Holly, Hazel.
Holly and Hazel are medium trees which are shade tolerant, so will grow even if the canopy of the adjoining plots has already closed. This makes them an excellent choice for a reserved plot.
All of these trees have unique benefits to nature and many of them hold historical symbolism or places in mythology. Please see the tree selection page for more details.
You can select the tree you would like for your plot or leave it to us. We will select a tree for you which fits best for the habitat creation.
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