Core to the thinking behind Clandon Wood is the creation of a place of beauty and openness where those left behind will want to come and spend time to reflect and remember for generations to come.

As a nature reserve with traditional meadowland, young woodland and ponds, Clandon Wood also provides distinctive environments that support many diverse ecosystems which create a wildlife-rich landscape. All the trees and flowers are not only native but tailored to this specific locality. During winter the grass is short but to allow the wild flower meadows to reseed and flourish without cultivation the grass is allowed to grow long late into the summer following which the meadows are mowed.

In order for Clandon Wood to retain its natural beauty and ethos we have a number of rules which it is essential are observed and adhered to by all who wish to choose and place a memorial, plant flowers on a grave or simply visit.

It is important to note that Clandon Wood is neither a park nor a garden and the graves are intended to blend into the surrounding landscape.

Our grounds staff take steps they feel are appropriate and necessary to maintain the environmental integrity of Clandon Wood at their sole discretion. This includes the right to trim or remove any trees or bushes at any time. Tree species planted for the express purpose of coppicing will normally be cropped at seven to fourteen year intervals. In the longer term any tree may need to be thinned or topped as the woodland canopy develops.

1. The yearly cycle of seasons at Clandon Wood plays a key role in the natural maintenance and sustainability of all the land within it and an important part of this cycle is to allow the grass to grow long late into the summer to allow the wild flowers and plants to reseed. We understand this may make memorials difficult to find during this period but we would request that graves are accessed by using the nearest pathways so the meadow is not trampled unnecessarily as this causes the grass to grow flat and create a thick mat which may cover and obscure plots.
2. Floral tributes comprising natural loose cut flowers may be placed on burial plots at any time. All paper, cellophane, other plastic wrappings and ties should be removed from such flowers. Pots, vases or flowers set in oasis are not permitted. We will remove wilted flowers from burial plots at such intervals as we deem necessary.
3. Pedestrian access to Clandon Wood is available every day from dawn to dusk. Vehicular access is available during office hours only. Access to some areas of Clandon Wood may be restricted at our sole discretion from time to time, for example, for safety reasons or due to management activities.
4. Whilst at Clandon Wood you are required to give due consideration, privacy and respect to any funeral or memorial ceremonies or services taking place or any religious or spiritual tradition being observed.
5. During your time at Clandon Wood you are required not:
   • to do anything which contravenes any planning approval granted by the local authority;
   • drop any litter. We do not provide litter bins as these would spoil the appearance of Clandon Wood. Please take any litter home with you;
   • to use a mobile phone unless it is with sensitivity and consideration for other visitors and Clandon Wood’s natural peace and tranquility;
   • to play any amplified music unless you have our prior written consent. Acoustic instruments may be played only when they will not disturb other visitors, ceremonies or services;
   • to play any electronic games which emit noise;
   • to smoke anywhere other than in designated areas;
   • to enter the lakes for any reason or throw anything into them;
   • to disturb or feed any wildlife;
   • to play ball games; or
   • to camp or stay overnight on any part of Clandon Wood including on the car parking area.
6. Please make sure that children are supervised at all times.
7. Dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a close lead at all times and any mess is picked up and removed from Clandon Wood.

1. The grantee (owner) of a reservation of a burial plot or his or her immediate next of kin if the grantee is the deceased are the only persons entitled to place a memorial on a burial plot.
2. Only one memorial is permitted per plot which may be a plaque or a leaf but not both.
3. Memorials may only be made from the following materials with maximum dimensions for width and height and minimum and maximum dimensions for depth set out in the table below:
   

   	British native hardwood plaque	Unpolished slate tile
   Burial plot memorial	W: 25cm H: 25cm	W: 20cm H: 20cm
   	Min Depth: 2.5cm	Min Depth: 5cm
   	Max Depth: 15cm	Max Depth: 7.5cm
   	(W: 10” x H: 10” x Min Depth: 1”/Max Depth: 6”)	(W: 8” x H: 8” x Min Depth: 2”/Max Depth: 3”)
   Ash plot memorial	W: 20cm H: 20cm	W: 15cm H: 15cm
   	Min Depth: 2.5cm	Min Depth: 5cm
   	Max Depth: 15cm	Max Depth: 7.5cm
   	(W: 8” x H: 8” x Min Depth: 1”/Max Depth: 6”)	(W: 6” x H: 6” x Min Depth: 2”/Max Depth: 3”)
   Hanging wooden leaf memorial	W: 20cm H: 15cm Max Depth: 2.5cm
   	(W: 8” x H: 6” x Max Depth: 1”)
   For ash plots the reduced size is because they are more numerous to a given area and would otherwise affect the overall appearance of the meadows.

4. All memorials require approval by our site staff in terms of specific materials used and overall dimensions before being passed to our grounds staff for laying within a plot or being hung on a tree. We strongly advise that designs are discussed with our on-site team prior to purchasing a memorial or having one made so as to avoid any risk of a memorial not being approved. Further details relating to the specific requirements for an approved memorial are available from our on-site office. A list of approved artisans who are familiar with crafting memorials for those laid to rest at Clandon Wood is listed in the section below.
5. All plaques must be passed to our grounds staff for laying and securing on the grave plot and will be set approximately one half an inch below ground level in order to protect the memorial from any potential damage by any grounds machinery or mowing equipment. It is not required for wooden leaves to be hung on trees by our grounds staff. Please also refer to paragraph 10 below.
6. The meadows are mowed annually in late summer once the seeds from the wild flowers and plants have dropped which will involve mowing over graves.
7. It is not permitted for burial plots to be marked in any other way, for example, with masonry, glass, woodwork, headstones, kerbstones, fences, borders, chippings, pebbles, bricks, stones or shells or to place any other items such as ornaments, statues, candles, incense sticks, toys, wind chimes, windmills, ribbons, pictures, shrines, lights, plastic or fabric flowers on a burial plot or any other part of the grounds of Clandon Wood.
8. In the event that a memorial does not comply with the rules set out above the grantee will be notified of this. Such items will be removed from the plot immediately by Clandon Wood staff and kept for a period of three months  for collection, after which items will be recycled or disposed of.
9. It is not permitted for balloons to be placed on plots or released at any time as they are not biodegradable and when they fall to the ground they might be dangerous to wildlife.
10. We do not accept responsibility for any damage that may occur to memorials placed on burial plots or trees.

Bespoke wooden memorials and leaves

Sally Priston
Tel: 01737 221880
Email: thewoodworld@aol.com

Make Me Something Special
Ben Griffiths
Tel: 01252 703196
Email: sales@makemesomethingspecial.com
www.makemesomethingspecial.com

Slate memorials
Honister Green Slate
Tel: 01768 777230
Email: sales@honister.com
www.honisterslate.com

The Slate Workshop
Ben Thomas
Tel: 07971 339490
Email: ben@slate-workshop.co.uk
www.slate-workshop.co.uk

1. Wild flowers may be planted on graves but in order to ensure the integrity, sustainability and natural beauty of Clandon Wood is maintained approval by the ground staff must be obtained in advance of planting or seeding any flora. A list of the wildflowers which are permitted to be planted on burial plots is listed in the next section.
   With as many as forty five flowering species per square metre in Clandon Wood’s meadowland graves planted with a variety of approved seeds and plants can be very colourful which will help them stand out as particularly rich patches within the meadowland and wooded areas. Although native plants are less showy than their cultivated garden cousins they tend to be tougher and will survive and thrive in Clandon Wood’s environment and support a greater variety of insects, moths and butterflies.
2. Any trees, shrubs or unapproved plants or flowers are not permitted to be planted on graves or in the grounds of Clandon Wood. In the event that such items are planted the holder grantee will be notified of this. Such flora will be removed from the plot immediately by Clandon Wood staff and kept for a period of three months for collection, after which items will be recycled.
3. Except as approved by our staff in advance visitors should refrain from:
   • pruning, trimming, lopping, stunting, felling, uprooting, chemically treating or otherwise interfering with any trees, shrubs or plants on our grounds or excavating the ground in any way;
   • planting seeds, bulbs, plants or trees of any kind;
   • placing any soil or compost on any burial plot;
   • gathering any plants, wildflowers or their seeds or seed heads;
   • strimming or cutting the grass or flowers or removing any growth from the grounds including from or around a burial plot.
4. It takes some time for new graves to settle and soil levels can sink up to eight inches in the first year. The grounds staff will regularly top up soil levels and will do their best not to bury plants on graves but this is very difficult to avoid with seeds.Once a plot is fully settled, which can take at least a year, we will seed it with a selection of wild flower and grass seeds so that it blends in with the rest of the nature reserve.
5. Please note the meadows are mowed annually in late summer once the seeds from the wild flowers and plants have dropped which will involve mowing over graves.

Please select plants using their correct botanical Latin names to ensure accuracy.

*Suitable for damp ground and wooded areas
†For areas with short sward, thin soil or new graves
+ Bulb

If you need any advice before buying seeds or plugs for a particular area please speak to our groundsmen.
Emorsgate Seeds
Tel: 01553 829028
www.wildseed.co.uk

British Wild Flower Plants
Tel: 01603 716615
www.wildflowers.co.uk

Wild Flower Lawns & Meadows
Tel: 01435 810446
www.wildflowerlawnsandmeadows.com