Wallace Stuart Limited Services Taunton Deane Crematorium

Conveniently located on the western side of Taunton, Taunton Deane Crematorium is a beautiful and complementary location to hold a love ones funeral. It was originally opened in 1963 and presented with a Civic Award in 1965. In 1998, the historic building became Grade II listed and continues to be the resting place of many.

Cremations allow you to pay respect to the one you’ve loved in a respectful and loving way. Throughout the years and as with many events related to death, crematoriums such as Taunton Crematorium have been steeped with inaccurate myths and questions.

• Are the bodies removed from the coffin before cremation?
• Are the coffins returned to funeral directors for reuse?
• Are all of those in the crematorium cremated together and each family is given a portion of the mixed ashes?

We can confirm that all of these myths are entirely untrue, founded on a lack of knowledge and specialist support. We want to give you the information and support needed to choose the right funeral service for you. So let’s break the myth rumour on some of these cases:

Do You Get Cremated in the Coffin?

Yes. The body is always cremated in the coffin. Before it is placed inside, the funeral director or mortuary technician will remove anything that might cause problems during cremation. This will include items such as watches or pacemakers as these can explode when exposed to high heat. Once this has been completed and the body is placed in the coffin, it is closed and brought to the Taunton crematorium for the ceremony.

Can You Be Cremated Without a Coffin?

Also yes. In the UK, the only solid law about cremation is that a body must be covered up in public. Coffins aren’t a legal requirement for cremation. You can also use a shroud. Lel and Sarah held the first coffin-less cremation at Sedgemoor Crematorium in 2016. Following the deceased’s own wishes, when she came to chat to Lel before she sadly passed away. Some people choose to use cardboard boxes or wicker boxes which are both eco-friendly and biodegradable. Somerset Willow Coffins are also a popular option with this rustic style.

Does the Coffin Get Cremated With the Body?

In the UK, crematoriums are required to follow a very strict code of practice. This states that a coffin and its contents must be placed in the cremator exactly as they were received. Which means the coffin is always burned with the body. Once the funeral director has sealed the coffin, no one opens it again. Most crematorium staff have never even seen a deceased body.

On occasion, reusable covers may be placed on the outside of the coffin to smarten it up during the funeral or committal ceremony. This is likely where the term ‘recycled’ coffins come from.

How Do You Know You Are Cremating the Right Person?

At every funeral or cremation ceremony, there is a point where the body of the person who has died is committed. This means it is taken to a separate room where the nameplate is checked against the cremation order. Once this has occurred, nothing can be removed from the coffin.

After this check, it is impossible to mix things up. A cremator only has the space for a single coffin at a time. The process takes anywhere between 90 minutes and 3 hours, depending on the size and age of the person. This means the likelihood of someone being swapped before this process is impossible.

Planning a Funeral for Your Loved One

Here at Wallace Stuart Limited, we’re proud to be a well-respected and sympathetic local Bridgwater and Taunton Funeral Director. We provide our funeral services throughout a 25-mile radius of TA6 6PZ but we have helped families beyond – from Yorkshire to Cornwall. We have a team of bearers, many of whom have been with us from the very first day and are extremely professional and sympathetic to our families – we trust them entirely to care for deceased in our care. If you are needing to plan a burial or cremation, please do get in contact and let us help you through this difficult time. Lel and Sarah are the only people to answer the phones – day or night. We are here when you need us.