A Modern Ceremony

25/05/2025

So true and one of the reasons why I dislike the term 'moving on'!

Grief brain is real. It's not in your imagination—and it's definitely not you being lazy, scattered, or "not trying hard enough." It's what happens when your entire world gets blown apart and your brain can't keep up with the wreckage.
You forget things.
You lose track of time.
You stare at a sentence and realize you've read it four times already.
Even the simplest, everyday tasks feel huge.
This is your brain in survival mode. When someone you love dies, your system scrambles. It tries to protect you from the unbearable. It shuts some things down just to keep you upright. Focus, memory, motivation—they all take a hit. That's biology doing what it does when something vital goes missing.
Other people might not see it. They might think you're just distracted or not paying attention. But grief changes your brain. You're not broken—you're grieving. And your brain is responding exactly how a brain does when it's trying to process something it never wanted to understand.
So if your mind feels foggy, if you're forgetting things or falling behind, take a breath. Be kind to yourself. Your brain is doing what it can to survive a reality it never asked for. And you're still here. That matters.

22/05/2025

22/05/2025

15/05/2025

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need a celebrant

07/05/2025

It was a privilege to lead this service of farewell.

01/03/2025

Absolutely beautiful! A place of comfort and peace for people living with loss, thank you Tarn Moor Memorial Woodland LTD

01/03/2025

Beautiful words and photographs, thank you Tarn Moor Memorial Woodland LTD

22/01/2025

We often receive many enquiries and questions from families who have never experienced a natural burial or even planned a funeral before. So, we thought we could help by answering the most frequently asked questions here. Please feel free to chat with us if you require any further information.

❓️"Can anyone be buried at the natural burial ground?"
👍🏻Yes. The natural burial grounds are here for everyone, those of all religions, beliefs and none. There are also incentives for those living local with a discount for Skipton residents.

❓️"What will happen once the site is full?"
🌳 The burial ground will be returned to nature. Ensuring beautiful woodland and meadow areas in the future. The land is fully protected and has been part of Tarn Moor Estate for over 350 years.

❓️"Is natural burial expensive?"
👎🏻In most cases our costs are below that of traditional cemeteries and crematoria. Protecting the environment, supporting the community and eleviating funeral poverty are our key priorities, accordingly it is our aim to ensure our prices are fair.
Below is a link to our list of fees for your reference
https://www.tarnmoormemorialwoodland.co.uk/current-fees

17/01/2025

Simply beautiful!

'𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨. 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧.'

No process, no sanitization, no fancy stuff, just nature doing its thing. So let’s get dirty.....in a natural burial ground... our natural burial ground.

With natural burial, our bodies give energy and nutrients to the earth, and all the nature it supports.
It’s a pretty unique and long lasting gift.
It’s nice to think that with natural burial, our contribution to the planet extends beyond our lives.
Natural burial helps us accept, maybe even appreciate the cycle of life.

Our body contributes to the soil’s renewal and we protect nature forever.

🐝♻️💚🌳🦋🐞🐛🪱🤎⚰️🦉🚶‍♂️🎩💝🦔🐿🪶🕸🕷🪳🦟🪰🌱🥀🌷🌸🪻🐌🪺🍃🍂

05/01/2025

You may feel uncomfortable and not sure what to say when with someone who is grieving. However, just a smile can make such a difference and communicates so much about your care and understanding. Please don't ignore the situation, if you can't think of words to say just simply gain eye contact and smile.

Grief support for all

07/12/2024

These are such true and wise words!.

This Christmas and New Year, as the world celebrates with joy and togetherness, some of us will feel the weight of absence. The empty seats at the table, the silences where laughter used to echo, and the memories of those who are no longer with us will remind us of the void they left behind.

It’s not easy. The traditions they were a part of, the little things they used to do—whether it was decorating the tree, telling the same old stories, or simply being there—are now memories we hold close to our hearts. The holidays bring a bittersweet ache, a mixture of gratitude for the time we had and longing for just one more moment.

But even in their absence, their love lingers. They are in the songs we sing, the meals we share, and the traditions we continue. Their presence lives on in the way they shaped us, in the lessons they taught, and in the love they gave so freely.

This season, let’s honor them by cherishing the ones still here, by creating new memories while holding the old close. Let’s light a candle for them, raise a glass in their name, or carry on something they loved to do.

Grief may soften over time, but the love never fades. And perhaps, in those quiet moments when we feel their absence the most, we can also feel their presence in the warmth of our hearts, reminding us that they are never truly gone.

This Christmas, let’s embrace the love they left behind and share it generously with those around us. Because love, after all, is the greatest gift we can give or receive.

03/12/2024

Absolutely, always!

Today marks the start of National Grief Awareness Week which runs from December 2nd - December 8th. It raises awareness of all aspects of grief and loss on a national scale.

Loss is experienced by the majority of people in our lifetimes. One thing most of us aren’t taught is how to support others going through grief. Grief is still a taboo subject, sending some running the other way rather than acknowledging someone else’s pain.

A recent survey by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, found that over half (56%) of Britons are scared they will say the wrong thing to someone who is grieving, while over half (53%) find it uncomfortable or awkward to know what to say to someone who has lost a loved one.

Don’t let grief become the ‘elephant in the room.'

‘Shine a Light’ is this year’s theme ✨️
Please join us and light a landmark if you can or simply light a candle at 6pm, on the 8th of December.