A Spotlight Article
Cornwall has limited options for cremation. Aside from Treswithian, the only other crematoriums are Penmount, which is in Truro, and Glynn Valley, which is in Bodmin. There is a crematorium further south than Treswithian but it caters for pets only.
This means that Cornish folk who live in regions such as the Lizard and Land’s End, have a good distance to travel to attend the crematorium. To travel from Land’s End to Treswithian it would take 49 minutes by normal car and is over 23 miles. Treswithian is situated only 6.3 miles away from Redruth, you can make the journey in approx 13 minutes by car down the A30. They have 70 parking spaces including 4 disabled, and there is further parking on the grounds.
Treswithian Downs is a private crematorium on Puggis Hill, Camborne, with views over the local countryside. According to The Cremation Society, Westerleigh purpose-built this crematorium in 2010. They claim to be among the most environmentally friendly crematoriums in Europe. Not only does the crematorium nestle among the rolling hills, its landscaped gardens continue to develop and mature with time and attention to detail. The chapel is built of wood and local granite, incorporating local materials into its structure.
Accessible Information Via Their Website
The website for Treswithian Downs is clear, professional and easy to navigate, with a great deal of information. The home page is simple and provides a warm welcome while the various tabs include a wealth of resources, in particular they have a large section dedicated to memorialisation.
It has one chapel, capable of seating 100 with room for a further 50 standing. Westerleigh crematoriums feature facilities which council crematoriums would struggle to match. Treswithian Downs has speakers in the lobby and outside the chapel, meaning a greater number of people can attend than the chapel will hold. This also supports services if they are particularly ‘outdoor’ themed.
If attendees struggle with being in the chapel, they can sit outside and still be present at the ceremony. The chapel is fairly conventional, but this means that it can be altered to suit your wishes. This feature also allows a degree of familiarization which can help mourners navigate the unknown. They also offer Unattended Direct Cremations (no service). While the outside space is quite extensive, they do not appear to have any quiet rooms which could serve a wake.
Flexible Services For Modern Life
Services are held every 60 minutes, this allows for a total service time of 40 minutes. If you choose to hold a service at one of their early morning slots, you still get 20 minutes of service time. Their early service is 08:30 am to 09:30 am. They also offer twilight services between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. These twilight slots are the full 40 minutes of service time. You can book a double slot if 40 minutes isn’t enough. If you would like to use the chapel only you can do this as well. They offer limited availability at weekends.
Arranging A Service
In order to arrange a cremation at Treswithian Downs, they require the Certificate of Cremation. They will also have their own form that will require filling in by the applicant. The person applying for the cremation is usually the one who has completed the paperwork and is often the Executor of the Will or a named point of contact (such as the widow/widower).
Regardless of if you are choosing a direct cremation or a cremation with a service, as long as you have the paperwork, you can organise it yourself. There is a false belief that only Funeral Directors can do this but the truth is anyone can. This is comforting for some families who may wish to conduct the whole funeral themselves and not use the services of a Funeral Director.
Ashes
At Treswithian Downs the cremation happens within 24 hours of the service. The ashes (aka the cremated remains or cremains) are usually ready to pick up by lunch time the following day. The only person who can collect the ashes is the named representative and signatory; a different person can collect them, providing they have written proof from the signatory authorising them to do so.
Westerleigh’s policy state that the ashes can remain with them for up to 6 months while the family makes their decision on how they wish to dispose of them. Included in Westerleigh’s fee is that the ashes can be scattered in the garden of remembrance. It is always advised that you take the time to think through options for ashes. Focus can often be on the funeral itself and ashes are often overlooked.
There are further considerations when exploring Treswithian Downs as an option. They comply with the Federation of Burial & Cremation Authorities Code of Cremation Practice (which is compulsory). While it’s not compulsory, but best practice, they recycle any metal parts which are left over from cremations (such as metal plates or parts from operations).
Tailored Experiences
Choosing Treswithian Downs offers clients with a fully tailorable experience. Being a private, modern crematorium, Treswithian can cater to almost any client’s needs and requirements. They are able to house a large number of attendees, up to 150 in the chapel, seated and standing. Additionally, attendees can remain in the lobby due to the speakers; these extend beyond the chapel so standing in the grounds is also a possibility. They have ample parking on site, and cater for the needs of disabled visitors, both with parking spaces and full disabled facilities including a Loop system for the hard of hearing.
Music, visual tributes, live webcasts and recordings are all available, courtesy of Wesley Media and the crematorium’s own state of the art music facilities. An organ is also available and if you (or your Funeral Director) cannot find an organist, Treswithian can provide one. With options like this, all types of service can be catered for, from modern contemporary to traditional. Because of this, a celebrant could take the service, but equally, a minister of any faith could also attend to take the service. This often happens when a minister is requested but the family do not want a church service. Alternatively they may have a church service and then attend the crematorium to cover the committal.
Personalisation
What I particularly like is the level of personalisation that clients can have at Treswithian. With a full 60 minutes between services, and a full 40 minutes of actual service time, you have greater freedom to conduct the ceremony, your way. If there were going to be quite major changes to the chapel, a double slot, last service of the day would be advised. This means plenty of time to set up and take down with minimal stress.
One of the stand out features of Treswithian is the availability of services. From early morning to late evening, it fits the modern way of life. They can cater for personalisation and it allows far greater flexibility than some other venue options. For some clients, the idea of an early service, for the gardener who rises with the sun, or perhaps a twilight service, for the photographer who captured sunsets, could be particularly appealing.
A further personalisation is the ability for you to ‘Witness’ the charging of the cremator. This practice is vital for those of Hindu and Sikh faith. While all crematoriums offer this, Treswithian Downs actually make it clear that up to six people can attend the ‘witness charge’.
Memorialisation
Westerleigh thought of everything when designing Treswithian Downs, including all of the post funeral options, which can often be overlooked by grieving families. There are many options for remembrance at Treswithian; they are a stockist of EverWith memorial jewellery, they can provide memorials in stone and wood, from benches to urns. They also have their book of remembrance and offer Ashes in Space, where they have teamed up with Aura Flights to take and scatter ashes at 100,000 feet above the earth.
A final word about finances. Clear pricing and transparency around costs has been a driving factor in the funeral industry for several years; and with good reason. It is important that families, who are at a highly vulnerable stage in their lives, are given full disclosure around the cost of all services.
Just because you can clearly see all the costs, does not mean that you will understand them all. Many services and fees, commonly referred to as disbursements, are broken down, and rightly so. While this is important, many families do not realise how they all mount up. If unsure, seek expert help when it comes to navigating disbursement costs, extras, and essentials.
Pricing
Treswithian Downs have their pricing fully available and with a clear breakdown. The cost for a cremation depends on the service time (and sometimes day) and if it is an attended funeral or not.
Some examples –
If a family wished to have a Friday funeral at 2pm, in a single slot (giving 40 minutes of actual service time) it would cost £1,425.
An unattended, direct to crematorium fee would be £585.
If a family wanted to utilise the chapel only it would cost £740.
And if you wanted a morning service (for that gardener of yours), you could get an early service, which includes 20 minutes of service time, for £850.
My 5 Key Take-Away Points
1. The most standout feature is that Treswithian Downs has a great flexibility when it comes to personalising your funeral service.
2. The website has a great deal of information.
3. Treswithian Downs serves the folk in the South of the county and is easily accessible from the A30.
4. They have modern facilities yet can facilitate more traditional/cultural requirements.
5. The wealth of information can lead to information overload. While the pricing structure is clear it doesn’t mean it is easy to understand. Calling on a pre-planning professional can mean cutting out what isn’t needed and focusing on what is.