Construction under way on first barrows site in thousands of years

A.W. Lymn The Family Funeral Service is set to start building the burial mounds, located on George’s Lane just outside the village of Calverton, this year once it submits the final discharge of conditions for approval.

The barrows’ construction is just one of the ways the award-winning funeral directors will expand its offering to those it serves across the East Midlands, creating an alternative to a traditional burial. The barrows site will form part of a 27-acre cemetery owned by A.W. Lymn.

Pete Clarson, Commercial Director at the business, said: “We’re pleased with the progress we’re making towards starting the development of our cemetery and barrows site and are excited to be able to share this unique offering.

“We’re working through a few delays in the process, which have pushed back our start time on site by a few months – but we want to assure those interested in the site that we are very much still ‘full steam ahead.’

“Given the complex nature of the planning application, we’ve worked closely with Gedling Borough Council to ensure that we have met all the outlined conditions and requirements and the wishes of local residents, as well as respecting the rural character of the land.”

Pete added that local resident and council feedback has been central to the vision of the site. He said: “We’re committed to offering the highest quality of service to the bereaved and we understand that the final goodbye doesn’t look the same for everyone. As a business, we make it our priority to listen to feedback from families we support, and we’re seeing a growing demand for alternatives to traditional burials.

“Being able to bring this special option to people across the Midlands is something we’re incredibly proud of and we hope this timeless memorial offers a place for peace and reflection for everyone who visits the barrows.”

A.W. Lymn was originally granted planning permission for a cemetery at the George’s Lane site in August 2022. Following this, the funeral directors considered how it could expand the site’s use with the addition of a different type of memorial, bringing something no other burial ground in the Midlands provided.

An application was resubmitted to erect one closed and two open barrows on a small part of the land in late 2023. Having addressed original concerns and offering significant changes to the design, the application was approved in March 2024.

These natural-looking barrows will be carefully designed in conjunction with Sacred Stones - a barrows design and construction business - and they will contain niches for cremated remains to be placed within.

Toby Angel, Managing Director of Sacred Stones, added: “We’re excited to get this project underway in conjunction with A.W. Lymn and are looking forward to welcoming people to the site. Barrows hold a very special place in ancient funeral traditions, offering a space where the bereaved can understand their grief, accept their loss, celebrate life and retell stories. Barrows are for everyone regardless of belief, background or situation and we’re honoured to be bringing this offering to the East Midlands.”

With 25 funeral homes across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and most recently Leicestershire, A.W. Lymn, the fifth-generation family funeral directors, prides itself on offering a variety of services available at an affordable price to the families it has served since 1907.