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How to find a grave
The Burial Meadow has been digitally mapped. Because of its naturally circular form, we chose to design a plan of plot locations based on concentric circles radiating from a central point. This reflects the timeless symbolism of the circle - representing both life and death - and echoes ancient traditions to which Natural Burial is closely connected.
There are four permanent ground markers (PGM's) in a 20 m grid that will be marked on a map that we will send you after your burial. There are various methods available to locate a grave, you can choose the one that works best for you. If you have any difficulties you can let Mary know of your visit in good time and she will flag the location for you.
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After the burial you will be given three things to assist you in locating your grave;
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A map showing the location
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Latitude and longitude co-ordinates
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A what3words address​
Map of the burial meadow
You will be sent a downloadable map of the burial meadow which will show the location of your plot. You can use, as we do, two tape measures from two PGM's and follow the dimensions on the map to where they cross. Although this may seem rather antiquated in todays technical world, this is still the most accurate method available to us.
Making use of nearby landmarks, such as trees, fence posts etc. can help you find the plot. Pace out strides to the grave from a landmark, aiming for a particular spot in the distance or using a compass to get a bearing.
Using longitude and latitude co-ordinates
Enter the longitude and latitude co-ordinates into the relevant map app on your phone. The position of the grave will be shown by a red pin. Press ‘Directions’ from your current location and begin navigation. You can also drop a pin on the actual location of the grave. Your own position is shown by a blue dot with a small arrow to indicate the direction of travel. You will see the blue dot moving across the map as you walk. You will have reached the grave when the blue dot coincides with the red dot under the red pin. Bear in mind that accuracy is no closer than 4m.
What3words
what3words is a global digital addressing system that divides the world into 3-meter-by-3-meter squares, with each square assigned a unique three-word address, making it easier to identify and communicate precise locations anywhere in the world. Instructions on how to use what3words 1: Install the free mobile app on your phone (available on the App Store, and on Google Play 2: Enter the three-word address either by typing, scanning or speaking to the app, or by choosing the address from the saved list of addresses (if any). 3: Choose the Navigate button at the bottom of the screen and then in the Get Directions pane choose What3Words Compass 4: The app might ask you to calibrate your phone’s compass by moving it in a finger-of-8 motion. When you are done, it will display the address with a compass arrow and a distance away. 5: Simply set off in the direction of the arrow and keep following it until the distance shown is 1m or below and you will have found the spot you’re looking for. what3words is a really simple way to talk about location. They have divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and assigned each one a unique 3-word address. ​ It means anyone can accurately find any location and share it more quickly, easily and with less ambiguity than any other system. We now provide the what3words (W3W) address of every grave, as well as the GPS coordinates. ​For example, our W3W office address is sweetened.retire.hours(which is much easier to remember than the GPS coordinates 51.812633, -2.7152923). PLEASE NOTE – If you simply click on a what3words link it will take you to their website which does not have the compass feature. You need to choose the option to get the free what3words mobile app.