West Wiltshire Crematorium

12/11/2025

This week, our site at New Southgate Cemetery & Crematorium, proudly honoured the life of Dorothy Lawrence, believed to be the only woman to serve on the front line during the First World War.

Disguised as a man, Dorothy joined the trenches in 1915 and served with extraordinary courage and resilience. Her bravery, individuality, and pioneering spirit continue to inspire generations.

A new memorial headstone has now been placed at her resting place, ensuring her legacy is recognised and remembered.

Read more about Dorothy’s remarkable story here: https://ow.ly/YS6H50XqB0P

11/11/2025

🌺 Supporting the Poppy Appeal in Trowbridge 🌺

Last Thursday, the West Wiltshire Crematorium team volunteered at Tesco Trowbridge alongside the Trowbridge Royal British Legion to help raise funds for this year’s Poppy Appeal.

It was a privilege to play a small part in supporting such an important cause, honouring those who have served and continue to serve. ❤️

A big thank you to everyone who stopped to donate and share their stories — your generosity helps make a real difference.

10/11/2025

🌟 Sponsor Spotlight 🌟

We’re honoured to be featured in the latest issue of Life with the BSMG from Melksham Ladies & Girls Rugby.

Supporting this incredible club is something we’re very proud of — from sponsoring Steph Holman, their Home Player of the Match awards, and helping with NC1 travel costs for the season, to simply cheering the teams on from the sidelines! 🏉💙💛

The passion, teamwork, and community spirit shown by everyone at Melksham RFC is truly inspiring, and we’re grateful to be part of their journey this year.

Thank you for the lovely feature — it’s a privilege to support such a dedicated and welcoming club. 🙌

09/11/2025

This Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, we honour and remember all those who have served, sacrificed, and lost their lives in service. 🌹

As we come together this weekend and on Tuesday, let us pause, reflect, and show our gratitude to those who fought.

06/11/2025

There are moments in life when words fall away — and what we need most is simply a quiet place to sit and breathe. 🌸

Our gardens and remembrance spaces are designed to offer just that. Whether you come alone for a moment of stillness or bring family to share memories together, West Wiltshire Crematorium welcomes everyone seeking peace and reflection.

Take a moment to listen to the rustle of the trees, or walk through the pathways surrounded by flowers and light. Sometimes, it’s in silence that we feel the strongest connections to those we love.

06/11/2025

Work continues to progress well on our new site in Cramlington, Newcastle. Below is a brief update alongside the latest images from site showing how things are shaping up as we close out week 2:

🔹 Plate bearing tests are booked
🔹 Piling scheduled to begin week commencing 17th November – with efforts underway to bring this forward
🔹 Works on the overflow car park are progressing steadily

Great to see strong momentum on this project so early on. More updates to follow as we continue building this important new facility.

04/11/2025

🍂 Autumn Update from West Wiltshire Crematorium 🍁

As the seasons change and the autumn colours settle across our grounds, we’d like to remind visitors that our grounds and Remembrance Chapel opening times have now changed for the winter months.

🕰️ October – March Opening Hours

Weekdays: 9:00am – 4:30pm

Weekends & Public Holidays: 10:00am – 4:30pm

We invite you to continue visiting and finding peace among the beautiful seasonal scenery, and we thank you for your understanding as we adjust our hours for the shorter days ahead.

🍁 West Wiltshire Crematorium – a place for quiet reflection all year round. 🍂

31/10/2025

In our latest episode of Before You Go, Matt sits down with Ross Hickton, Managing Director of Hickton Family Funeral Directors, 4th-generation Funeral Director, and National President of SAIF.

Together, they discuss what it means to lead a family business through four generations, the evolving landscape of independent funeral care, and Ross’s vision for the future of the profession.

This episode offers an insightful look at leadership, legacy, and the balance between tradition and innovation in one of the UK’s most compassionate sectors.

Listen now on Spotify: https://ow.ly/krf450XkMiZ

28/10/2025

And we’re off again!

Works on our latest crematorium near Newcastle have started with T. Manners & Sons. We look forward to providing updates and announcing the name and other details about this development in due course.

27/10/2025

We’re proud to announce the official opening of our brand-new crematorium in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh — the first in Scotland to offer families an unprecedented level of personalisation when celebrating their loved one’s life.

At the heart of this beautiful new site is our innovative canvas technology, which transforms the entire front wall of the chapel into an immersive experience through visuals, lighting, and soundscapes — creating a truly unique farewell that reflects each individual’s personality and story.

As part of Westerleigh Group, East Lothian Crematorium represents the next step in our commitment to providing exceptional care, comfort, and choice to families, while setting new standards in sustainability and accessibility.

Learn more about what makes this new site so special: https://ow.ly/HIj150XikaF

24/10/2025

We’re proud to share highlights from our launch event- the unveiling of Scotland’s first immersive funeral venue at East Lothian.

The event brought together funeral professionals, our colleagues, and partners from Obitus to experience first-hand how innovative sound, lighting and visual technology can help families say goodbye in a more personal and meaningful way.

24/10/2025

Bringing the super venue to the South West.

Last night, we welcomed our industry colleagues to Sedgemoor Crematorium to share our exciting plans to introduce the super venue concept here this December.

Thank you Obitus for your help on the night.

Find out more: https://lnkd.in/e9XWfkXP

Images of the chapel after installation have been kindly provided by Basildon and District Crematorium & Cemetery, also operated by Westerleigh Group.

16/10/2025

The future of funerals is coming to Vale Royal!

This week, Vale Royal Crematorium was proud to host a preview evening for local funeral directors and celebrants, offering a first look at the immersive Super Venue technology arriving this November.

As the only crematorium in the north of England to introduce this innovative technology, we’re proud to be leading the way in transforming how families can honour their loved ones — creating farewells that are more personal, meaningful, and reflective of individual lives.

Featuring dynamic Canvas walls, atmospheric lighting, and carefully curated soundscapes, this technology brings a new level of personalisation and experience to the funeral service.

A big thank you to our colleagues and to the team at Obitus for the engaging presentation and Q&A session.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we share more glimpses of this exciting development.

09/10/2025

Westerleigh Group has launched Westerleigh Funeral Plans - trust-backed plans designed to be fulfilled by funeral directors in partnership with Westerleigh crematoria.

Key benefits include fixed pricing, a low admin fee, and three plan options from full attended services to direct cremation.

To find out more email: fdplans@westerleighgroup.co.uk

Full details here: https://ow.ly/AEWE50WYG1V

04/10/2025

✨ Today’s the day! ✨

Our Community Open Day is here. Drop in between 10am and 2pm to look around, ask questions, and meet the team.

We look forward to welcoming you. 🌸

Find out more here:

Community Open Day Saturday, 4 October 2025 Saturday 4th October 2025, 10am – 2pm We look forward to welcoming you to our crematorium where you will be able to: Take a tour of our comfortable chapel and beautiful memorial gardens (tour of the crematory will be optional for all visitors) Meet our f...

03/10/2025

Tomorrow is Our Community Open Day
🗓 Saturday, 4 October | ⏰ 10am – 2pm

We look forward to opening our doors tomorrow for our Community Open Day.

Come along to:
✨ Look around our chapel and memorial gardens
✨ Take part in an optional tour of the crematory
✨ Meet our team and ask any questions
✨ Discover the many ways we help families celebrate life and remember loved ones
✨ Enjoy some light refreshments by Just On The Hoof in a calm and welcoming setting

There’s no need to book — just drop in anytime between 10am and 2pm. We’d love to see you there.

Details: https://www.westwiltshirecrem.co.uk/events/event.php?s=2025-10-04-community-open-day

03/10/2025

Our new podcast Before You Go is now live — with the first three episodes available to listen to today from Dr Bill Webster, Emma Britton and Duncan Reynolds.

Hosted by Matt Brook, the podcast invites guests to share open and honest conversations about death, grief, and the way we remember produced in collaboration with Empica.

Listen now to all three episodes and follow us on Spotify to stay up to date with future episodes: https://ow.ly/KZNL50X4emh

02/10/2025

Westerleigh Group now offers Westerleigh Funeral Plans, created to help funeral directors provide those looking to plan ahead with peace of mind through fixed-price, trust-backed funeral plans.

These plans guarantee a cremation at any Westerleigh Group crematorium and include flexible options to meet families’ needs, all supported by low admin fees and straightforward onboarding for a funeral director.

If you’re a funeral director interested in offering these plans, please contact us at fdplans@westerleighgroup.co.uk or find more info here: https://ow.ly/Kt6n50WYG94

27/09/2025

One Week to Go – Community Open Day
🗓 Saturday, 4 October | ⏰ 10am – 2pm

There’s just one week until our Community Open Day here at West Wiltshire Crematorium.

This is a welcoming opportunity to:
🌿 Explore our chapel, gardens and crematory (if you wish to)
🤝 Meet our friendly team
🕊 Learn more about the services and support we provide
☕ Enjoy light refreshments

Everyone is welcome — whether you’d like to find out more about what we do, have questions you’ve always wanted to ask, or simply want to spend some quiet time in the gardens.

Find out more here:

Community Open Day Saturday, 4 October 2025 Saturday 4th October 2025, 10am – 2pm We look forward to welcoming you to our crematorium where you will be able to: Take a tour of our comfortable chapel and beautiful memorial gardens (tour of the crematory will be optional for all visitors) Meet our f...

20/09/2025

Join Us: Community Open Day at West Wiltshire Crematorium
🗓 Saturday, 4 October 2025 | ⏰ 10am – 2pm

We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to the West Wiltshire Crematorium’s Community Open Day — a chance for our community members to come along, look around, ask questions, and experience the calm beauty of our chapel and memorial gardens.

Here’s what you’ll be able to do:

- Explore our comforting chapel and our peaceful memorial gardens (you can also opt for a tour of the crematory, if you wish)

- Meet our warm, caring team and learn how we support the bereaved with compassion and dignity

- Have the opportunity to chat with one of our local funeral directors, E Wootten and Son Funeral Directors. Learn about the role of Orthometals in the cremation process. Find out more about the embalming process.

-Discover the many ways we can help make a farewell unique and personal, including the technologies, memorial options, and service styles we offer

-Find out about our aims to serve and support the local community, and how we honour remembrance in meaningful ways

-Take some quiet time to pause, reflect, or just enjoy the beautiful surroundings — nature, peace, memory.

Plus: there’ll be light refreshments for everyone provided by Just On The Hoof.

No appointment needed, all are welcome.

For more information, please visit our website:

Community Open Day Saturday, 4 October 2025 Saturday 4th October 2025, 10am – 2pm We look forward to welcoming you to our crematorium where you will be able to: Take a tour of our comfortable chapel and beautiful memorial gardens (tour of the crematory will be optional for all visitors) Meet our f...