When a cremation is over, the question of “what now?” can feel heavier than the urn itself. There’s no single right answer for what to do with cremation ashes, and there’s no need to rush. You can take your time, split the ashes if that helps different family wishes, and choose something that feels true to the person you’ve lost. In the UK, most options are simple and lawful with a little planning—whether you keep, bury, scatter, or create a keepsake—so the decision can be guided by meaning, not pressure.
This guide shares six respectful ideas commonly chosen in the UK, from opting for an unattended direct cremation with ashes returned or scattered for you, to keeping them at home, interring in a cemetery or garden of remembrance, scattering with care on land or water, planting a living memorial, and creating memorial jewellery. For each option you’ll find a plain‑English overview, practical UK steps, typical costs, and who it tends to suit. Read on, compare calmly, and choose the path that feels right for you and your family.
1. Choose unattended direct cremation with ashes delivered or scattered (Go Direct Cremations)
If you want a calm, dignified start with freedom to choose later what to do with cremation ashes, an unattended direct cremation is a thoughtful option. Go Direct Cremations handles the practicalities now, then either personally returns the ashes to you or scatters them for you in a garden of remembrance.
What it is
An unattended direct cremation is a cremation without a service or mourners present. The team arranges respectful care, including washing and preparation, an eco‑friendly coffin and a simple ashes container. After the cremation at a trusted crematorium, you decide whether the ashes are hand‑delivered to your door or scattered on your behalf, leaving you free to hold a separate memorial or celebration of life when the time feels right.
Practical steps (UK)
You’ll get clear guidance and support at each stage so there’s no rush or guesswork. Collection is available from any hospital in mainland England, Scotland or Wales, with 24/7 availability if you need to talk.
- Make the first call: Speak to the team anytime to confirm wishes and next steps.
- Collection and care: Standard collection from hospital; transfer by private ambulance to professional mortuary facilities; washing and preparation included.
- Paperwork help: Guidance to complete the required forms; support if a coroner is involved or circumstances are complex.
- Cremation arranged: A dignified, unattended cremation at a trusted partner crematorium.
- Ashes choice: Either personal delivery of the ashes to your family or respectful scattering in a garden of remembrance.
Costs to expect
Direct cremation is generally more affordable than a traditional funeral because there’s no formal service, venue, limousines or flowers. Expect a clear base price, with only transparent extras if needed.
- Included: Professional care, eco‑coffin, unattended cremation, simple ashes container.
- Possible add‑ons: Urgent home or hospice collection, removal of medical devices, larger coffin, premium or designer urns, hand‑delivery of ashes.
- Complexities: Overseas arrangements or coroner involvement may carry additional costs.
Who this suits
- Families seeking simplicity and value: A dignified goodbye now, with freedom to plan a personal tribute later.
- Those spread across locations: Ashes can be returned to you, shared, or scattered for you.
- People who prefer low‑stress decisions: Clear steps, 24/7 support, and no pressure to organise a ceremony at short notice.
- Eco‑minded choices: An efficient option with an eco‑friendly coffin and minimal fuss.
2. Keep them at home in a beautiful urn or keepsake
For many families, the most comforting answer to what to do with cremation ashes is simply to keep them close. In the UK it’s perfectly acceptable to keep ashes at home, whether in a classic urn on a shelf, a smaller keepsake urn shared among relatives, or a discreet piece such as a paperweight or framed memorial. You can take your time, personalise the container, and choose a spot that feels right.
What it is
Keeping ashes at home usually means transferring the cremated remains from the crematorium’s container into a chosen vessel. Options range from standard urns in wood, metal, glass or ceramic to smaller keepsake urns that hold a portion of the ashes for sharing. Some families choose subtle keepsakes like glass art or paperweights that incorporate a small amount of ashes, offering a tangible, durable tribute.
Practical steps (UK)
Start by deciding how visible or discreet you want the memorial to be, and whether you’ll share the ashes between family members. Most suppliers provide clear capacity guidance; a funeral director can advise if you’re unsure.
- Choose the vessel: Standard urn, keepsake urns for sharing, or a discreet keepsake such as a glass piece or photo frame with a compartment.
- Prepare the space: Pick a stable, safe location away from direct sunlight and moisture; consider a display cabinet if you have children or pets.
- Transfer with care: Use a wide funnel and, if splitting, measure portions consistently; many families add a nameplate or engraved plaque.
- Document your wishes: Note where the ashes are kept and any future plans (e.g., eventual scattering or interment) so relatives aren’t left guessing.
Costs to expect
Costs vary by material, craftsmanship and personalisation. A simple ashes container is typically included with a direct cremation, and you can upgrade later if you wish.
- Budget to premium: From simple understated urns to artisan glass or hand‑finished ceramics.
- Add‑ons: Engraving, nameplates, display stands, courier delivery.
- Sharing options: Keepsake urns are smaller and typically cost less per piece, making it easier to divide ashes among family.
Who this suits
Keeping ashes at home suits those who want closeness and time before deciding on a permanent place. It’s also helpful where family views differ or relatives live far apart, allowing small portions to be shared.
- Comfort and continuity: A daily point of connection in a safe, familiar space.
- Flexible timeframe: Decide later about scattering or interment without pressure.
- Personalisation: Match materials and styling to the person’s tastes and your home.
- Practical considerations: Ideal if you may move house—portable and easy to relocate.
3. Bury or inter the ashes in a cemetery, columbarium or garden of remembrance
If a lasting place to visit feels right, interment offers permanence and tradition. In the UK you can bury ashes in a cemetery plot, place them in a crematorium’s garden of remembrance or urn garden, choose a niche in a columbarium, or inter them on private land with the landowner’s permission. Many cemeteries also allow more than one set of ashes in the same plot.
What it is
Interment means placing cremated remains in a permanent spot. That could be a grave or small plot in a cemetery, a dedicated urn garden, a niche within a columbarium, or a discreet place on private property. You can usually add a memorial or marker, subject to the site’s rules.
Practical steps (UK)
Planning is straightforward when you liaise early with the cemetery or crematorium office. They’ll confirm what’s allowed for containers, memorials and any readings or prayers if you’d like a brief ceremony.
- Choose the location: Cemetery plot, urn garden, columbarium niche, or private garden (with landowner permission).
- Check the rules: Confirm memorial types, inscription guidelines and whether multiple interments are permitted.
- Select a container: Standard urn, ashes casket or biodegradable urn, as required by the site.
- Book the interment: Complete the paperwork and arrange delivery of ashes; you can hold a simple ceremony without a funeral director.
- Mark the place: Order a plaque, headstone or garden marker if permitted, and keep records so family can find the spot in future.
- Think ahead (home burials): If interring at home, remember you may not have access if the property is sold later.
Costs to expect
Fees vary by location and the type of resting place. Expect separate charges for the interment itself and any memorial, with containers and delivery arranged to suit your plans.
- Typical items: Plot or niche fee, interment fee, memorial permit and masonry, ashes urn/casket, administration.
- Variables: Choice of cemetery/crematorium, type of memorial, private land arrangements and any additional services.
Who this suits
Interment suits families who value a fixed place to visit, faith traditions that favour burial, or those wishing to reunite relatives in one spot.
- Permanence and heritage: A stable, signposted place for remembrance.
- Religious or traditional needs: Fits established customs and rituals.
- Family continuity: Option to place several loved ones together.
- Clarity for future generations: Easy to find, maintain and revisit.
4. Scatter with care on land or water in a meaningful place
Scattering is a simple, heartfelt way to say goodbye in a place that mattered. In the UK it’s generally allowed with the landowner’s permission on land, and you can scatter over water without a licence at the coast or on rivers and lakes if you follow Environmental Agency guidance and use only biodegradable tributes.
What it is
Scattering involves releasing the cremation ashes in a chosen spot—on a favourite hill, along a woodland path, at the beach, or from a riverbank or boat. It can be a quiet family moment or part of a larger celebration, and you can scatter all the ashes or share and scatter at several locations.
Practical steps (UK)
Think about access, permissions and the environment before you go. A little planning helps the moment feel calm and respectful.
- Get permission: Ask the landowner for parks, private gardens, farms or sports grounds; beaches/coastlines are generally accessible.
- Follow water guidance: Avoid scattering near water extraction points and use biodegradable petals or wreaths only.
- Pick the spot and time: Choose a quiet area, consider tides, wind direction and privacy; avoid fragile habitats.
- Use the right container: Scatter tubes make a gentle, controlled release on land or water.
- Plan the moment: Agree a few words, music or silence; stand downwind and release slowly.
- Record the location: Note coordinates or landmarks so family can revisit if they wish.
Costs to expect
Scattering itself is usually free once you have permission. Possible costs include:
- Containers and travel: Scatter tube or biodegradable urn; transport and parking.
- Water access: Private boat hire if desired; venue fees at certain sites.
- Optional extras: Biodegradable flowers or petals; small printed orders of service.
Who this suits
- Nature lovers: Those who felt most at home outdoors or by the sea.
- Families seeking flexibility: Easy to split ashes and hold multiple small gatherings.
- Low‑cost, low‑stress goodbyes: Minimal logistics with high personal meaning.
- Those mindful of the future: Choose places that remain accessible for remembrance.
5. Plant a living memorial with a biodegradable urn and tree
If they loved the outdoors, a living memorial can turn the question of what to do with cremation ashes into something hopeful. Biodegradable urns are designed to be buried with a seed or sapling so, over time, a tree grows as a lasting tribute. It’s a gentle, eco‑minded choice that you can do at home (with permission) or at a woodland or garden of remembrance.
What it is
This option uses a biodegradable ashes urn that’s buried in the ground with a tree seed or young sapling. As the container breaks down, the tree establishes and becomes a place to visit and remember. It’s increasingly popular alongside green and woodland burial approaches in the UK.
Practical steps (UK)
Before you plant, think about permission, access in future, and the species that best reflects your loved one. A little planning makes the moment meaningful and practical.
- Choose the place: Private garden (with landowner permission) or a dedicated woodland/memorial garden that allows ashes interment and tree planting.
- Pick the tree: Favour native species suited to your soil, light and space; some sites will advise on what’s permitted.
- Select the urn: Use a purpose‑made biodegradable urn designed for planting with a seed or sapling.
- Decide on portions: You can place all or part of the ashes in the urn and keep or scatter the remainder elsewhere.
- Hold a simple ceremony: Say a few words, add biodegradable petals, and note the exact location for future visits.
- Think ahead: If planting at home, remember access may change if you move.
Costs to expect
Typical costs include a biodegradable urn and a suitable tree, plus any optional marker or plaque. If using a woodland or memorial site, expect a plot/interment fee and rules about memorials. Travel and basic tools for planting may also be needed.
Who this suits
- Eco‑conscious families: A natural tribute that supports wildlife and seasons of remembrance.
- Those wanting a peaceful place: A personal spot to visit without the formality of a cemetery.
- Families seeking flexibility: Easy to use a portion of the ashes and combine with scattering or keepsakes.
- Planners and carers: Best for those comfortable with light tree care while it establishes.
6. Create memorial jewellery using a small portion of the ashes
If you’re deciding what to do with cremation ashes and want something you can carry, memorial jewellery keeps a loved one close in a discreet, beautiful way. UK makers can encapsulate a tiny portion of ashes into resin or glass, or use them to create a lab‑made diamond for setting.
What it is
Only a pinch of ashes is used to craft a ring, pendant, bracelet or charm. The ashes are suspended within coloured glass or resin, placed in a small fillable locket, or transformed into a lab‑grown diamond that can then be mounted in precious metal.
Practical steps (UK)
Choose a reputable UK specialist and a design that fits daily wear. Most provide a secure collection kit with clear instructions and sealable containers.
- Decide the design: Pendant, ring, bracelet or charm, and any engraving.
- Set aside a small portion: Label clearly and keep the remainder safely.
- Use secure handling: Tracked post or in‑person handover as offered.
- Confirm returns: Ask for unused ashes to be returned and care advice.
Costs to expect
Prices vary by material and method. Glass or resin pieces are usually more affordable than cremation diamonds, and lead times can differ by maker.
- Materials matter: Precious metal choice and any stones affect cost.
- Personalisation: Engraving, birthstones, resizing and insured delivery add.
- Multiple pieces: Ordering for several relatives may reduce per‑item cost.
Who this suits
Memorial jewellery suits families who want closeness without a fixed location. It also helps when several relatives would like to keep a small, personal keepsake.
- People who travel or may move home.
- Families sharing ashes fairly and sensitively.
- Those wanting daily comfort in a discreet form.
Choosing what feels right
There’s no timetable for this decision. Choose the option that best honours the person and supports your family—keeping ashes at home, interment for a permanent place, a gentle scattering on land or water, a living memorial tree, or a keepsake you can wear. You can share the ashes, combine ideas, and change course later. Think about permissions, access in future, and simple ways to mark the moment, then note your plans so everyone understands.
If you’d like a calm, dignified start, an unattended direct cremation gives you space to decide. We’ll handle care, paperwork and cremation, then return the ashes to you or scatter them in a garden of remembrance, with clear pricing and 24/7 support. When you’re ready, speak to Go Direct Cremations and choose the path that feels right for you.
