Sue Cook In Shop Talking About Unattended Cremation

An unattended cremation is a great choice for those looking for a low cost direct cremation without the formality of a traditional funeral. Unattended cremations take place with no service or mourners present at our high-quality crematoria where dignified care is guaranteed throughout.

Distinct Cremations

What's included with our unattended funerals for £1,199

  • An unattended cremation
  • Collection of the deceased from a hospital or coroner's mortuary (weekdays 8am - 6pm, mainland Great Britain only)
  • Care at our state-of-the-art professional mortuary
  • Removal of pacemakers, artificial mechanisms and medical implants
  • Preparation of the deceased for cremation
  • Help with all legal and cremation paperwork
  • 24/7 support from our customer service team
  • Transport of the deceased via private ambulance
  • A simple coffin
  • Coffin rested in the chapel with a chapel attendant or funeral operative present
  • Respectful and dignified cremation
  • Ashes scattered in our crematorium remembrance gardens or personally hand delivered within 14 days
  • Temporary ashes container for easy scattering

What's not included with our unattended funerals

  • Attendance of mourners
  • A funeral service or procession
  • Viewing of the deceased
  • Choice of crematorium
  • Choice of cremation time
  • XXL coffin (Fee of £150)
  • Collection outside office hours or from a location other than a hospital or coroner's mortuary (Fee of £250)

Optional add-ons

  • Wooden ashes casket - £50 Beautifully made and long-lasting solid wooden caskets to safely and meaningfully house your loved one's ashes.

  • Witnessed ashes scattering - £150 Attend the scattering of your loved one's ashes at the peaceful and scenic grounds of the crematorium.

View our price list for a full breakdown of everything that's included and not included as well as a list of all optional extras.

Alternatively, view our CMA standardised price list. For further details, please read our terms & conditions.

Arrange an unattended cremation

To arrange an unattended direct cremation straight away, call our experienced and caring customer service specialists.

If your loved one is near to death and you would like more information before making funeral arrangements, you can also download a free guide to our funeral services.

Call us on 01543212000

Looking for something different?

If our Unattended Cremation doesn't fit your funeral preferences or budget, you may be interested in one of our other funeral services. All of our funeral options are also available to be paid for in advance with a funeral plan.

Small attended cremation

Our small attended cremations offer a 10 min service for up to 8 mourners or a 20 min service for up to 20 mourners.

Small attended cremation >>

Pre-paid funeral plans

Protect yourself from rising funeral costs by choosing and paying for a funeral in advance with one of our funeral plans.

Funeral plans >>

One of the main benefits of choosing an unattended, direct cremation is that gives you and your family the flexibility to commemorate or celebrate a loved one's life in whatever way you'd like.

You may decide upon a large gathering of family and friends at the local community hall. You may opt for something more intimate like a family gathering at a loved one's home.

With an unattended, direct cremation, you can choose to commemorate your loved one whenever, wherever and however you please, to give your loved one the most personal and special farewell.

Our dedication to care and quality

Whichever funeral option you choose, we’ll give your loved one a compassionate send-off that respects their dignity. We are experts in direct cremations and simple funerals, all of which are caringly delivered by dedicated professionals.

Funeral Operatives Outside Distinct Cremations Office

Every one of our funerals guarantees:

  • Complete end-to-end service delivered by our teams
    We use our own private ambulances, mortuary facilities and crematoriums. This means we look after your loved one personally at every stage to guarantee quality service.

  • State-of-the-art mortuary care
    Our team meticulously prepare your loved one for cremation and care for them on a daily basis using the best mortuary technology.

  • A respectful farewell at the crematorium chapel
    At all services, an attendant or funeral operative is present whilst your loved one is brought into the chapel to your choice of music.

  • Ashes returned or scattered at no extra cost
    The individually identified and tracked ashes will be hand delivered back to you at home within 14 days or scattered at the crematorium.

How we care for your loved one

Why not add our Go Greener option?

Our optional extra can be added for £100 and includes:

  • A coffin made from wood fibre containing a mix of virgin recovered and recycled fibre - a coffin that uses up to 80% fewer trees to produce
  • Carbon offsetting of the Distinct Cremations service
  • A tree planted as a natural solution to climate change
Find out more
Sue Cook Talking About Direct Cremation

Distinct Cremations leave out the funeral fuss and needless extras but leave in great service and a wonderfully caring attitude. That’s why my instinct is Distinct.

Sue Cook, TV Presenter

Call on 01543211997

Would you prefer an attended cremation?

Our attended cremation services offer a dignified and respectful way to say goodbye together with your nearest and dearest.

With an 8 min service for up to 10 people, a 20 min service for up to 20 people or a full-length service, our attended cremations can take place at any of our 40 crematoriums across the UK.

View attended cremation

We offer the highest level of support, but don't take our word for it

Below are a selection of reviews from those who followed their instinct with Distinct and chose to buy a funeral with us.

5.0/5
Based on 971 reviews Feefo Logo Feefo Gold 2024
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Anonymous, on Feefo 7 Oct 2024
exactly what we wanted, plan bought and paid for easy to use form and very helpful telephone staff
Anonymous, on Feefo 7 Oct 2024
We used Distinct Cremations when a local provider asked us to call back the following day as they were too busy! Distinct could not be faulted from initial contact throughout the whole procedure leading up to the cremation and beyond. We have no hesitation in recommending this company, in fact we have already spread the word to friends and family.
Garrie Parker, on Feefo 7 Oct 2024
Very helpful, professional service, would recommend
Peter William Simmonds, on Feefo 5 Oct 2024
On being left to set the plan into motion after the death of my sister district cremations talked me through every step thay were considerate and professional until the end
Anonymous, on Feefo 1 Oct 2024
Two plans purchased, complicated situation yet staff accommodated our special needs. Brilliant service. Our minds at rest regarding end of life details. Couldn't have wished for more genuine interactions, understanding and reassurance.
Anonymous, on Feefo 29 Sep 2024
Anonymous, on Feefo 26 Sep 2024
Fast friendly service
Malcolm Robert Pitts, on Feefo 20 Sep 2024
The staff at Distinct Cremations were more than helpful. They were kind, thoughtful and sympathetic, the person with whom I dealt most being particularly so. I recommend this service one hundred percent.
5.0/5
Based on 971 reviews
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Read all our reviews

How it works

These are the steps in the process you can expect when you choose our unattended direct cremation service for your loved one.

You’re free to visit any of our crematoriums, within their opening hours, to view the grounds and facilities ahead of time.

Upon arranging a funeral, once you’ve agreed the type of service that you’d like, one of our Customer Service Specialists will take the payment in full, which can be made by credit or debit card.

For those planning ahead, we offer funeral plans that can be paid for upfront or in monthly instalments, allowing you to arrange and pay for your funeral in advance.

There are lots of things you can do with the ashes. Many people scatter ashes in a place that was special to the deceased, some keep them in an urn as a keepsake and others have recently started to have ashes turned into jewellery or glass.

Last year, 24% of all funerals were unattended funerals without mourners present. 4% of funerals were direct burials and 20% of funerals were direct cremations. Direct cremations especially have risen in popularity in recent years as in 2019 they accounted for just 3% of funerals.[1]

[1] In 2023, 20% of funerals were direct cremations and 4% of funerals were direct burials. In 2019, 3% of funerals were direct cremations. (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2024, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs)

An oversized coffin is for individuals who are too big for the average coffin width of 24 inches, 76 inches in length and 14 inches in depth. If the deceased is over 22 stone or 6 ft 5 or over, then an oversized coffin will be needed.

While we can’t arrange the celebration for you we can provide funeral guidance if needed.

You can, and it can make things easier and less stressful for when the time comes. If a loved one is suffering from a life limiting ailment, the dying person may want to be involved in their own funeral arrangements. Or a funeral can be planned when you're healthy with a funeral plan. We're happy to talk through your options 24/7 on 01543 211997.

We’ll keep the deceased dressed in the same clothes they were wearing when they entered our care unless otherwise requested. If you’ve got a specific outfit you’d like them to wear, just let us know and provide it prior to the cremation.

For some, the lower cost of an unattended funeral makes it a more affordable or attractive option. Others simply prefer to have a more low-key send off. Or for people who don't want to follow traditions, an unattended cremation gives families the freedom to hold a personal and unique celebration of life event. See our celebration of life ideas for inspiration around locations, themes, dress codes and more.

You have a choice. You can either have the ashes personally hand delivered within 14 days or scattered in the garden of rememberance at the crematorium.

With Distinct Cremations, it will take approximately 2-4 weeks to arrange the funeral. This includes the completion of the necessary paperwork and the cremation itself. Once the cremation has taken place, the ashes will be personally returned by our team within 14 days.

Learn more in our guide to arranging a funeral.

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