The British coffin style provide a classic look, modest and traditional. These are characterised by a flat top, the sarcophagus (coffin shaped) i.e. narrower at the head and toes than at the shoulders and simple fittings. They can be enhanced with raised lids and additional detailing on the side of the coffins called wreaths.

The standard British coffin is traditionally shaped (wider at the shoulders, narrowing towards the head and feet) and has a one-piece lid which is separate from the rest and is fixed down with screws. The idea of open coffins has not caught on here and most people regard the idea with some distaste. The American rectangular casket with a hinged lid is becoming available but is far from common. Coffins are normally made of oak or elm, with brass fittings, but for cremations they are pine (sometimes veneered with a finer wood) with plastic fittings colored brass.

In the case of burials a coffin plate is attached to the lid giving name and date of the deceased. In a cremation the coffin is burned with the body, although there are stories of coffins being taken away by funeral directors and re-sold! Coffins are normally plain polished wood, although coffins covered in maroon or black velvet held down with brass headed nails in elaborate patterns used to be seen, I have not heard of one for some years. Traditonally Babies and small children’s coffins are white.

The lids are shallower than European styles but one of the styles we offer has a Double raised lid which gives a similar effect.
The coffins are made using oak veneers, which are laminated on to chipboard or medium density fibre board (MDF). All are Forest Stewardship Council certified. They are approximately 80-85% wood and 10% Glue and rest moisture. A high proportion of the wood is from recycled wood. It’s pressed together with heat and glue a then a usable board is made, which is used to make our coffins.

The coffins are finished with a water based lacquer not solvent based. When it’s dry it’s completely biodegradable. No other toxins are contained within the board therefore these coffins are suitable for burial or cremation. When the coffin is cremated, as it’s mostly wood as the coffin burns it aids the process of cremation without any harmful emissions. The amount of CO2 released from the coffin during cremation is offset by the CO2 taken up during the life as a tree, and can be considered carbon neutral.

If you’re planning on a woodland burial please let us know, so we can use a suitable calico liner which will comply with regulations and be completely biodegradable.