Facilities

We provide exceptional care in a beautiful setting so that families can remember, mourn and celebrate the lives of their loved ones in a way that is uniquely personal.

Test Valley Crematorium is set in the beautiful countryside of Hampshire and has been specially designed in the local rural character, blending into the countryside and offering a place of peace and seclusion, so important for a funeral setting.

 

Our chapel

  • Our services are hosted in a modern, comfortable chapel furnished in oak. The chapel is light and spacious, built in the traditional local red brick with picture windows along one side to frame the magnificent views beyond.
  • The design of the crematorium chapel provides an intimate setting for a smaller gathering. If a large attendance is expected the chapel can also comfortably seat up to 98 mourners with an additional 30 standing spaces. 
  • Speakers are also located in the lobby area and outside of the chapel to accommodate even larger gatherings.
  • Visit our Guide to Services page to find out more.
     

Music and other forms of tributes

  • The chapel has a state-of-the-art media centre, providing photo tributes, DVD recordings, live streaming of services for those unable to attend in person and an almost unlimited music library. 
  • Tradition is not forgotten though and our beautiful chapel is also fitted with a Viscount organ.
  • All forms of live music are welcome, and the crematorium team would be pleased to offer any advice you may need.
  • Find out more about our services here.

 

Parking

  • There are 90 allocated parking spaces on site, with an additional 4 spaces for accessible parking that are close to the chapel.

 

Toilets

  • We have several standard and accessible toilets for our visitors.

 

Our grounds

  • Our beautiful and peaceful grounds are open to visitors 7 days per week. Our ground's opening times are available on the homepage.
  • Our grounds are lovingly tended by a caring team throughout the year. The environment not only provides a tranquil place of rest but also enhances the biodiversity of the local wildlife.
  • Our grounds provide a tranquil final resting place for a loved one’s ashes. There are a variety of options available ranging from a scattering in a communal area to having a dedicated memorial plot for an individual or a family.
  • Our dedicated team of memorial experts will be available to show and guide you through our range of memorials which can be placed in our memorial gardens or a private space, offering you a place to remember and reflect for the generations to come.

For more information on our services and what we can offer please visit our Guide to Services page.

 

Our Memorials

Our range of cremation memorials are designed and produced to the highest standards. They epitomise the very best in both traditional and contemporary with many options available.

Memories are personal to you and your memorial should reflect this. Memorials help people to remember and celebrate a person’s life and therefore we advise that you visit the crematorium to speak with our colleagues before making a final decision.

To view our full range of cremation memorials please visit our memorials page where you will find information on our memorials, interment options and ways in which they can be personalised.  Find out more here.

 

If you or a family member have any additional queries, we are always here to assist you and provide the best possible service. To speak to someone from our team please contact us on 0238 081 7880.

1. Crematorium Rules & Regulations

SECTION A - GENERAL INFORMATION

1. The following regulations have been designed and formulated for the control and use of Test Valley Crematorium.

2. All correspondence should be addressed to:
Test Valley Crematorium,
Ridge Lane, Romsey, Hampshire
SO51 6AA
t 0238 081 7880
f 0238 081 7889
TestValley@westerleighgroup.co.uk

3. Crematorium opening times:

Office Monday - Friday
9.00am - 5.00pm
Gardens April - September
9.00am - 6.00pm

October - March
9.00am - 5.00pm

Weekend & Public Holidays
10.00am - 4.30pm

 

4. Children Those below 15 years of age, will not be permitted to enter the crematorium unless accompanied by a responsible adult.

5. Dogs Shall not be permitted in the grounds unless on a lead

6. Vehicles. Cars are allowed in the crematorium but drivers shall not exceed the speed limit of 5 mph. Cars must only be driven on the main carriageways. On no account may cars be driven on footpaths, grass areas or planted areas. All vehicles must be parked neatly to allow access to other vehicles.

7. The Crematorium company shall not be held responsible for the safe keeping of any wreaths, flowers, plants or any other objects placed in the grounds nor any damage caused to memorials, monuments and mausoleums by high winds or storms, or other factors outside their control. An incident book is kept at the office for recording thefts of any type and the police will be informed of more serious crimes and if a high incidence of thefts occurs.

8. All persons shall conduct themselves in a decent, quiet and orderly manner. The General Manager is empowered to take such action as he/she may consider appropriate against any person who may:
 - Commit any nuisance in the crematorium.
 - Wilfully create any disturbance in the crematorium.
 - Wilfully interfere with any burial taking place.
 - Wilfully interfere with any grave or memorial or any plants, flowers or other such objects in the crematorium.
 - Play at any game or sport in the crematorium.

9. Visitors to the crematorium shall not unreasonably interrupt any employee at their duties or employ them to execute private works within the crematorium or extend to them any gratuity. All enquiries, complaints and requests by members of the public must be made to the crematorium office and not to workmen in the grounds.

10. The taking of commercial photographs and filming is not permitted in the crematorium except with the prior approval and permission of the manager in writing. Photographs of individual graves by approval with the grave owner are allowed.

11. No person shall operate any sound equipment or play any musical instrument in the crematorium without the prior consent of the manager. This should not discourage people from singing at the graveside or playing a favourite song quietly with the acknowledgement of the manager.

12. The Crematorium Company reserves the right to close the crematorium and crematorium grounds on any day should it be considered that circumstances so warrant.

13. The sale of goods, services, plants or other articles, the soliciting of orders or repair of memorials or for work connected with graves is strictly prohibited within the grounds of the crematorium. All such services and requests should be met by the crematorium office.

14. No employee of the Crematorium Company are allowed to undertake privately, any work or favour of any kind nor receive any gratuity for the said work of favour.

15. The placing of stone paving slabs, timber, etc around and leading to a memorial plot is strictly prohibited and shall be removed without prior notice on the grounds of health and safety and to satisfy the insurance underwriter of the company.

16. Any plants, vases or any other item placed outside the memorial space shall be removed without prior notice.

17. All persons entering into the crematorium grounds shall conform to all respects with the crematorium regulations and shall be subject to the orders of the manager and staff who have full power to exclude from the crematorium any member of the public whom may be deemed fit to exclude. Should it be necessary to use physical force to remove a subject the Police shall be summoned.

18. These rules and regulations shall be final.

19. The crematorium company reserves the right to make any alterations and additions to the rules and regulations of the crematorium at any time it feels fit.

20. Rubbish must be placed in the receptacles provided for this purpose. No household rubbish must be left in the crematorium or dumped.

21. The cremation and memorial fees are displayed in the crematorium office and are revised from January 1st Services after this date will be charged the revised rate.

 

SECTION B - REGULATIONS RELATING TO INTERMENTS

1. Prior telephone booking is required for every interment, which must be confirmed in writing on the prescribed form/notice at least 48 hours before the appointed time of the interment. Saturday, Sunday and public holiday burials can take place by special arrangement and the payment of the appropriate fee at that time.  This notice period may be reduced on the manager’s discretion.

2. The application for interment must contain full details of the deceased, the proposed interment, the plot to be used and the signature of the owner of the exclusive right of burial, if applicable, and be accompanied by the appropriate fee for interment.

3. The hours prescribed for interments are from 10.00 a.m to 3.00 p.m. Interments may take place outside these hours at the discretion of the General Manager.

4. No plot or other place of burial in which the Exclusive Right of Burial has been granted shall be opened for interment without the written consent of the registered owner of the rights of burial. The registered owner is that person whose name appears in the register of a plot held at the crematorium office.  Should this person be deceased, the next of kin, personal representative or executor must complete a statutory declaration.  This must be delivered along with the interment notice not less than 48 hours before the burial is due to take place.  Failure to provide all documentation may cause for the interment to be postponed until such time that the relevant documents can be produced.

5. The Registrar’s Certificate of disposal must be delivered to the Superintendent before the burial can legally take place. Failure to deliver this certificate will result in postponement of the burial until such time the certificate can be produced. (Section 1, Births and Deaths Registration Act 1926 and amendment)

6. All Fees relating to interments should be made payable to “Crematoria Management”. Payment must be delivered before the burial takes place unless an account in the name of the Funeral Director has been agreed by the crematorium office.

7. Any form of religious service may be used but any other ceremony is subject to the approval of the General Manager. Alternatively, the burial may be committed without a service.

8. The crematorium will not be held responsible for any error or consequences which may arise by reason of any inaccuracy in or late receipt of a notice of interment and will accept orders and instructions by telephone only at the risk of the sender.

9. All telephone or faxed orders must be confirmed in writing immediately

10. All requests for witnessed backfills must be made at the time of booking the burial or atleast 48 hours before the interment is to take place. It can not always be guaranteed that the backfill will be witnessed due to adverse weather conditions or in areas where a breach of Health and Safety law make occur if a backfill was to take place.

11. Areas of particular environmental value will be developed as suitable burial ground. This includes existing woodland areas in the crematorium as well as creating new specific woodland plots in the future.

 

Exhumations

1. No cremated remains will be removed from any plot after committal without the proper authority from the Home Office and /or the Ecclesiastical Court.

2. In the first instance a request for exhumation should be made to the manager of the crematorium before any application for licence or faculty is made.

3. The Exhumation will be carried out in strict accordance with Statutory provisions and any conditions imposed by the Secretary of State for the Home Office or the Ecclesiastical Court and any restrictions added by the Local Area Health Officer. Nothing in these regulations should be construed as authorising the disturbance of Human Remains without the appropriate authority.  Human Remains within these regulations is deemed to include cremated remains.

 

Cremated Remains

1. The interment of cremated remains will only be permitted (and recorded in the cremation registers) when carried out in the presence of the manager or their authorised staff and only after the necessary documentation has been completed.  The scattering  of cremated remains is only allowed in the nominated woodland area, or memorial lawn by prior agreement, within the grounds and the above procedure needs to be adhered to also.

2. The certificate for Disposal of Cremated Remains issued by the Crematorium where the cremation took place must be delivered to the office before the interment can take place. Failure to deliver such Certificate will result in postponement of the interment until such time as the certificate can be produced

3. Regulation B, 3 of these regulations includes cremated remains.

 

 

SECTION D - REGULATIONS CONCERNING CREMATIONS

1. A cremation can only legally take place when the Crematorium has the Registrars Certificate for Disposal or a Coroners Order for Cremation, Forms A, B and C and the Medical Referee has signed Form F to allow the cremation to take place. Without these forms in no circumstances will a cremation be carried out. (Cremation Regulations 1930 Regulations 6,7,8)

2. The above forms must be received by the Crematorium Office atleast 48 hours prior to the service taking place. Failure to provide these forms will cause the cremation to be postponed until such time that these can be produced.

3. The forms will be submitted on those provided by the crematorium and the appropriate fee paid before the cremation takes place, unless an account arrangement has been made with the General manager.

4. The maximum dimensions of a coffin to be loaded into the cremator is 33” wide (including handles) by 24” deep and 84” long.

5. The number of mourners permitted to enter the crematory for a witnessed cremation is six persons. This can only take place with the prior consent of the Superintendent and at his or her discretion.

6. The Funeral Director, or persons effecting the burial must provide sufficient staff to convey the coffin into the chapel, unless prior warning has been given to the office and the appropriate fee paid.

7. Every body brought to the crematorium must be contained in a suitable coffin or shroud. No coffin or shroud should be accepted unless it bears adequate particulars of the identity of the deceased therein.

8. The Crematorium will not be held responsible for any error or consequences which may arise by reason of any inaccuracy in or late receipt of a notice of interment and will accept orders and instructions by telephone only at the risk of the sender.

9. The crematorium will store the resulting cremated remains for a period of 3 months before they are scattered in the woodland, unless instructions to the contrary are given at the time of applying for the cremation.

10. If no instructions are given regarding the use of floral tributes, they will remain in the floral tribute area at the side of the chapel for 3 days, including the day of the funeral. After this period the flowers will then be disposed of.

11. Any music requirements must be communicated to the crematorium office at least 24 hours before the service is due to take place. If pre-recorded music is to be played, each piece of music must be clearly marked and in the case of CD's, each piece of music on different CD.  The crematorium excepts no responsibility for poor quality recordings or damage to worn out tapes or mistakes due to the inadequate labelling of pieces of music.

12. The cremation of body parts is permitted on the completion of the appropriate forms and the payment of the appropriate fee.

13. The cremation of a non-viable foetus is permitted with the production of the Medical Practioner’s or Midwife’s certificate of delivery.

 

SECTION E - REGULATIONS RELATING TO MEMORIALS

1. All memorials must be supplied and fixed by the crematorium. No external stone masons will be permitted to carry out work in the memorial grounds.

2. No memorial may be fixed in the memorial grounds without the approval of the Manager. Unauthorised memorials will be removed out of the crematorium at the plot owners expense. All suitable styles and materials will be provided for your choice.

3. Inscriptions can contain relaxed expressions such as “Mum” and “Dad”, nicknames etc. The only regulation to this policy is that no inscription should contain words or sentiments which may be offensive to another visitor in the opinion of the General Manager.

4. Should the registered owner of the Exclusive Right of memorial be deceased, a transfer of ownership must be arranged before any approval for works to any memorial can be given.

5. All memorials erected are maintained at the expense of the owner of the Exclusive Right of that particular plot. Where memorials split, crack or become dangerous, the plot owner shall be required to have that memorial repaired, refixed or relevelled so that it shall be safe at all times.

6. The crematorium reserves the right without notice to:
a) Remove or make safe any memorial which in their opinion is a danger or could become a danger to any person in the crematorium or crematorium grounds.
b) To remove temporarily any memorial or part of the memorial if such a course of action appears to the General Manager to be desirable.
c) To recover all reasonable costs in making any memorial safe from the grantee or their representative

7. Every memorial design or idea for commemoration will be considered by the company and that choice will be provided if it is reasonable for the company to do so. This will not include though materials which cause particular environmental harm such as the use of teak and other rainforest timbers for garden benches.

 

Date of Operation:

These regulations shall come into force on 1 February 2005.