tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36545955.post5165992835990363822..comments2024-02-29T00:12:44.710-05:00Comments on Grave Matters - A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial: Going all Natural in WalesChristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02440578684662717304noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36545955.post-65087653723304858522010-04-03T11:59:34.424-04:002010-04-03T11:59:34.424-04:00I am very grateful to Mark for communicating what ...I am very grateful to Mark for communicating what we do so well. One point on which I would like to elaborate is the grazing - we do not use sheep as lawnmowers, we farm the land - it is vital to the sustainability of the burial ground that it remains productive - a present and future asset, not a long-term liability.<br /><br />Memorials are important, but they don't need to mark the spot.<br />A widow, whose husband is buried at Usk Castle Chase meadow burial ground, recently said to me "it doesn't feel finished without the plaque". <br />The memorial plaques, simple inscribed oak blocks finished with beeswax, are installed within a shelter at the edge of the meadow; they are something we have recently introduced and would highly recommend. They 'complete the circle' and give the burial ground a dignity and anchor it in history - somewhere the names can be found. <br />The plaques are sheltered and protected from the weather and will last for many many years - simply stating the name, year of birth and the year of death - nothing more.<br />I have to thank Sheffield University for their research on natural burial grounds and people's perception of them - they showed me the importance of some form of memorial - we deliberated long and hard over how to achieve this whilst preserving the meadow, and eventually found a solution that is simple, natural and beautiful - our ethos entirely.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05183415362221739272noreply@blogger.com