Guildford Crematorium

New Pond Road, Godalming, Surrey GU7 3DB Superindendent & Registrar Keith Hendry Telephone (01483) 444711 Fax. (01483) 532637

The Crematorium is owned and operated by Guildford Borough Council. The Crematorium is situated between Guildford and Godalming town centres, 2 miles south of Guildford on the southern boundary of the Borough.

The grounds and gardens extend to 11.5 acres. The Garden of Remembrance surrounding the Crematorium provides a haven for quiet contemplation and remembrance.

Services are arranged at half-hourly intervals, with adequate car parking, toilets (including facilities for the disabled), waiting room and a wheelchair.

The Registrar and staff are available to give help and advice on all aspects of cremation.

The grounds and Remembrance Room are open every day including Saturdays, Sundays and all public holidays.

The general office is open Monday - Friday
8.30am - 4.30pm

Saturday & Sunday
9.00am - 12.00 (Closed on public holidays)

General Information
Visitors are always welcome to the grounds and Garden of Remembrance where, in complete tranquillity, a few moments of thought and prayer can give great comfort and peace. Spring and Summer planting is carried out annually to provide colour. The formal rose beds and other garden memorials are maintained to a high standard. The planting of personal flowers or the placing of floral tributes in the gardens is not permitted. Cut flowers may be left in the Flower Room which is situated adjacent to the Remembrance Room.

Floral tributes left at the Crematorium after the cremation service may, if you wish, be given to local hospitals, churches or nursing homes, the funeral director will carry out your wishes.

Floral tributes left on display will be removed on a regular basis.

Memorials
Roses, trees and shrubs are provided in the Crematorium gardens for adoption for periods of five years. Wall plaques are situated in the Cloister and Wall Tablets are situated next to the Remembrance Room.

Vase block tablets and Memorial Vaults are also available as a personal memorial.

All memorials are leased for a dedication period of five to fifty years and can be renewed for a further period on payment of the appropriate fee. The is no limit to the number of renewals. This ensures that the memorial can remain for as long as you wish.

The Chapel
Mourners arrive under a covered way leading to the Reception Hall, those attending may use a comfortably furnished waiting area. The chapel, seating 90, was designed primarily for worship. An organ and organist is available to play any requested music or hymns, alternatively a CD player is available to play any personal music. The Registrar or funeral director will arrange these, provided adequate notice is given. Curtains screen the catafalque at the point of committal, alternatively they may remain open throughout the service and close after all mourners have vacated the chapel.

Book of Remembrance
The volumes of the Book of Remembrance are placed in the Remembrance Room near to the Cloister. These provide a permanent memorial. The book contains pages for each day of the year, the page is turned each day so that it may be viewed on the anniversary.

The Remembrance Room is fully carpeted, has wall curtaining, a coloured glass window, seating and is air-conditioned to ensure that the books are kept in the correct environment. The book case is made from American white oak and uses state of the art fibre optic lighting to avoid any heat being transferred to the pages.

The date chosen may be the date of death, the date of cremation, date of birth or an anniversary date.

Entries may include a regimental badge, or can be decorated with a floral motif, badge or family crest. Full details are available from the Registrar.

Donation Fund
You may wish to make a donation to the Donation Fund. Your gift will be used towards improvements to the facilities and gardens. A Donations Book acknowledging the gift is situated in the Remembrance Room.

Cremated Remains
After the cremation service, the cremated remains may be retained at the Crematorium for a period of one month free of charge, if required the remains can be retained for a further period on payment of the current fee. If cremated remains are to remain at the Crematorium, they can be interred in the lawns of the Garden of Remembrance, strewn in the Glades or may be placed in a memorial vault. Fees are payable for interment in a memorial vault.

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