What to Do with Ashes in Dorset

Find woodland burial grounds, sea scattering and memorial services in Dorset, from Poole and Wimborne to Dorchester and the Jurassic Coast.

Memorial jewellery by Michael Thorpe Specialist jewellery.

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Hello all, I work as a professional within the bereavement services regulated and qualified by the ICCM. On top of this I also own a small business as a bench jeweller having studied the trade over 30 years ago. Presently I work very closely with Funeral directors covering Dorset creating memorial jewellery. I am very much a one to one Read more…

Cockatoo Studio Dorset

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Based at The Courtyard Craft Centre, Lytchett Minster, Cockatoo Studio creates beautiful memorial jewellery and keepsakes using your loved one’s ashes, hair or clothing. Choose from silver, gold, titanium, tungsten and stainless steel jewellery, personalised with a wide choice of colours and stones. We offer a range of items to suit every budget, prices for jewellery start from £50 upwards. Read more…

Dorset Downs Natural Burial Ground

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Dorset Downs Natural Burial Ground is a peaceful meadow nestled within the rolling Dorset countryside, offering a naturally beautiful place where families can remember their loved ones surrounded by nature. Protected as a natural burial ground, the meadow has been carefully preserved to allow wildlife to thrive while providing families with a peaceful place to return, reflect and remember for Read more…

Honour Jewellery

An award-winning bespoke jewellery workshop run by Louise, specialising in memorial jewellery alongside reworking inherited family gold. Uses CAD design and traditional lost wax casting, with private consultations in person at the Shaftesbury studio or by video call for customers anywhere in the UK. Read more…

Poole & Wimborne Woodland Burial Ground

Over 20 acres of woodland burial ground near Wimborne, serving Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding Dorset area. Dedicated areas cover both full natural burial and cremated remains, with an on-site funeral director open to anyone. The service hall seats around 30 and looks out over landscaped gardens. Read more…

Stuart Wiltshire Glass

Stuart Wiltshire Glass is a family-run studio on the High Street in Weymouth, Dorset. Stuart and his son Josh hand-blow cremation ashes into beautiful glass keepsakes using high-quality barium crystal glass. Turnaround is 5–10 days from receipt of ashes. The studio is open Monday–Friday and visitors can watch the glassblowing process in person. Products include paperweights, candle holders, ornaments and Read more…

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Aerial Ashes

Aerial Ashes offers multi-award-winning drone ash scattering ceremonies across the UK. Their professional team handles everything from consultation to the ceremony itself, scattering ashes over meaningful locations — coastlines, countryside, or anywhere special to your loved one. Services include live streaming, filmed ceremonies, and pet memorials. Licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority. Read more…

Dorset is one of the most popular places in England to say goodbye, with the Jurassic Coast, Poole Harbour and Chesil Beach along its shoreline and the chalk downs of Cranborne Chase and the Dorset AONB inland. Families here often look for a green burial or woodland burial ground near Poole, Wimborne or Dorchester, a scattering by the sea, or an eco-friendly alternative to a traditional memorial. Whatever feels right, you'll find trusted local providers below.

Woodland and natural burial in Dorset

Dorset has natural burial grounds offering woodland burial and ashes interment, including Poole & Wimborne Woodland Burial Ground and Dorset Downs Natural Burial Ground near Dorchester. Instead of rows of headstones, graves sit within meadow or woodland that's managed for wildlife, and many sites mark each plot with a tree or a small natural marker. It's why so many families searching for an eco funeral or green burial in Dorset choose this route. See all eco memorials and natural burial grounds in Dorset.

Scattering ashes along the Dorset coast

With so much coastline, scattering ashes at sea is a natural choice here. Some families scatter from a quiet beach at a quiet time of day, while others take a boat out from Poole, Weymouth or Lyme Regis. Aerial Ashes in Christchurch offers something different: CAA-licensed drone scattering over a meaningful stretch of coast or countryside, with filmed or live-streamed ceremonies. Our guide to scattering ashes at sea explains how it works.

Memorial jewellery and glass in Dorset

Dorset has several local makers creating memorial pieces by hand. Cockatoo Studio Dorset at Lytchett Minster sets ashes, hair or clothing into rings, pendants and charms, Michael Thorpe in Wimborne works closely with Dorset families one to one, and Honour Jewellery in Shaftesbury designs bespoke memorial pieces and can rework inherited family gold. In Weymouth, Stuart Wiltshire Glass hand-blows ashes into glass paperweights and ornaments, and you can watch it being made. See all memorial jewellery and keepsakes in Dorset.

What's the difference between a green burial and a woodland burial?

Very little. Both mean burial in a natural setting using biodegradable materials, without embalming or a traditional headstone. "Woodland burial" usually means the site is wooded or trees are planted as memorials, while "green" or "natural" burial can also mean open meadow. Most Dorset sites accept ashes as well as full burials.

Can I scatter ashes on the Jurassic Coast or Dorset beaches?

Often yes, but beaches and clifftops belong to someone, usually the council, the National Trust or a private estate, so ask first and avoid busy times. Read our guide to where you can't scatter ashes in the UK for more.

Is burial at sea possible in Dorset?

Scattering ashes at sea doesn't need a licence. A full burial at sea is different: it needs a licence from the Marine Management Organisation and is only allowed at a handful of designated sites, the nearest being off the Needles on the Isle of Wight. For most families, scattering ashes from a boat is the simpler option.

How much does it cost to scatter ashes in Dorset?

Scattering on land or from a beach can cost nothing beyond getting there, as long as you have the landowner's permission. A private boat trip, a drone scattering or an ashes interment at a natural burial ground will cost more, and prices vary by provider, so it's worth contacting a few directly. Our guide to scattering ashes at sea covers what's involved.

Do I need permission to scatter ashes in Dorset?

There's no law against scattering ashes, but you need the landowner's permission. Read our guide on whether it's legal to scatter ashes in the UK for the full rules.