If you are in Hampshire and trying to decide what to do with a loved one's ashes, there are more choices here than in most counties. The Solent gives Hampshire one of the best options in the country for scattering ashes at sea. Licensed boat operators sail from Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington, and most will take a small family group out for a short private trip. You do not need a licence to scatter ashes at sea in the UK, though local operators will guide you on tides, weather and how far from shore to go. Inland, Hampshire has several natural burial grounds where ashes can be interred beneath a tree or in a meadow plot, with sites near Headley, Ramsdell, St Mary Bourne and close to the New Forest boundary. These are quieter alternatives to a traditional cemetery, and most let you dedicate or plant a tree in place of a headstone. If you would rather keep something close, jewellers in Andover and Portsmouth set a small amount of ashes into rings, pendants and keepsakes.
