Funerals

We specialise in low cost, traditional and bespoke funeral services starting from £2200 for a traditional cremation service plus all disbursements that are required and a coffin of your choice.

This price includes the following:

• Liaising with hospitals, crematorium, ministers and doctors etc     
• Collection of the deceased from a local hospital during normal working hours  
• Preparation and care of your loved one within our private chapel of rest
• Our traditional black motor hearse and 4 pall bearers on the day of the funeral service 
• The arranging and conducting the funeral service
• The completion of all necessary paperwork
• Conducting of the funeral service at a local crematorium
• 24 hour advice and support                                                                                                             

We believe that a funeral service is a testimony to a person's life. We recognise that the funeral service should be as individual as each person we meet and therefore strive to ensure that every funeral conducted is unique and special, paying particular attention to cultural and religious beliefs.Upon making contact with us we can guarantee you our personal service and attention to detail are second to none.

The funeral arrangements can be made in our private and homely arranging room or alternatively, our Funeral Director will be more than happy to visit you in the comfort of your own home at a time that is convenient to you and your family at no extra cost.

We have a wide range of traditional and contemporary coffins and caskets to suit every taste and budget. These range from the veneer coffins which can be viewed in our coffin showroom to solid caskets and personalised colourful coffins in any design.  All of these coffins are suitable for cremation or burial services.For those who seek an entirely environmentally friendly funeral we can provide beautiful hand woven coffins made from willow and bamboo,  thus ensuring that the funeral of your loved one is a unique and special occasion.

As well as offering traditional hearse and limousine led funerals, at churches and crematoria, we are also able to offer alternative forms of funeral, enabling services to be personalised in many ways. We are able to provide traditional horse-drawn funerals; these are teamed with fully liveried black or white horses and a beautifully restored Victorian hearse.

Some people choose to personalise their funeral, or that of a loved one, through the choice of vehicles. As well as the horse-drawn hearses, mentioned above, we are also able to provide unusual alternatives such as, a Land Rover hearse, converted from Land Rover Defenders and motorcycle hearses provided by Triumph, Suzuki or Harley Davidson.

If you would like further advice or information with regards to our funeral services, memorials or costs then please do not hesitate in contacting us and we will be pleased to help you. 

We are also able to undertake funeral services anywhere in the UK, and the repatriation of the deceased abroad. Please call our office for a quotation for these services.

Registering a Death

By law all deaths in England and Wales must be registered, once the Medical Cause of Death Certificate has been issued by the deceased's doctor and usually within five days of death. When someone dies in hospital, a doctor there will issue the medical certificate showing the cause of death to the next of kin. Without this certificate you will not be able to register the death formally.

If they die at home you will need to call their doctor. If the death was expected you will be issued with the medical certificate and are then free to contact a funeral director of your choice in order to begin making the necessary funeral arrangements. You will need to make an appointment with the local Register Office which is nearest to where the person died. Registering a death is the formal recording of a death, and has to be done within five days of the death occurring. The nearest relative normally registers the death, but any qualified informant can do so, for example, the manager of a residential home. The Registrar then records the death in the official register and then gives you the Death Certificate, which is a copy of the register entry. You may need several copies to help you in dealing with any financial issues, closing bank accounts or estates left by the person who has died, and you will have to pay a small fee for these. We can assist you in obtaining all necessary paperwork and are always happy to advise and assist in every way.

If, however, the cause of death is not obvious, or the circumstances are unusual or sudden, the doctor will report it to the local coroner who may call for a post mortem examination to be carried out or an inquest in to the cause of death. In these cases the coroner will ask the funeral director to take the body to a local hospital mortuary for examination. If this happens, the medical certificate will not be issued until the coroner's report is completed, and you should allow a few days to a few weeks for this, especially if there is an inquest. When the coroner has completed his enquiry you will be issued with a form giving you permission to proceed with the funeral. Registering the death will take about half an hour; you will need to make an appointment beforehand. 

Pre Paid Funeral Plans

• A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance. A plan allows you to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. As our families often tell us, that can bring peace of mind to you and your family. A funeral plan also includes an allowance towards third party costs. These are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service.
• Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans we offer are as flexible as possible. When you get in touch, we’ll be happy to put you through to our appointed plan providers at Ecclesiastical where they will discuss your funeral requirements and tailor a plan to suit your needs.
  
• When you’re no longer around, the last thing you want is to leave your family with emotional and financial worries. With a funeral plan from Ecclesiastical Planning Services, you can:
• • Make your funeral wishes known
• • Make financial provision
• • Choose from a range of plans with local prices
• What’s more, your family will receive help and sensitive support from your funeral director at the time of need.
• Find out more by calling our Funeral Planning Team on 0800 028 9046 or email funeralplansupport@ecclesiastical.co.uk

Useful contact numbers

• Bracknell Registry Office
• Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell, Berkshire
• Tel: 01344 352000
• Reading Registry Office
• Civic Offices, Bridge St, Reading, Berkshire
• Tel: 0118 9373533
• Mon-Fri: 9.00-12.30; 2.00-4.00
• Slough Registry Office
• The Centre, Farnham Road
• Tel: 01753 787600

• Ascot Branch 
• 204 Fernbank Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 8JX
• Crowthorne Branch
• 1 High Street, Crown Corner, Crowthorne, Berkshire, RG45 7AD

• Local Hospitals
• Royal Berkshire Hospital - 0118 987 7059
• Frimley Park Hospital - 01276 604604
• Heatherwood Hospital - 01344 623333
• Wexham Park Hospital- 0300 614 5000