Why Heatherley Park – A GreenAcres Living Memorial Park, Is Such a Special Place to Say Goodbye
By Sally Smither-Harvey
Heatherley Park, part of GreenAcres Natural Burial Grounds, gives you peace from the moment you arrive. It’s a very special place to be, and I love working with the team there.
Set within gently rolling countryside and ancient woodland, Heatherley Park feels calm, grounded and deeply respectful. I have conducted many services here – including burials, ashes interments, memorial services and celebrations of life, ceremonies following direct cremation and it’s easy to understand why so many are drawn to it.
A Natural Setting That Brings Peace
Heatherley Park offers a beautifully natural environment that feels very different from a traditional cemetery. There’s space to breathe, to walk, to pause. Birds, trees and the changing seasons remind us that life continues, even in moments of loss.
For many families and friends of loved ones, this setting brings a sense of peace that can be hard to find elsewhere. It allows grief to exist alongside beauty and stillness, without feeling confined or formal.
Ceremonies That Reflect the Life Being Remembered
One of the things I value most about Heatherley Park is the flexibility it offers families.
Services here can take many forms – from a traditional funeral, to an ashes interment, to a memorial or celebration of life held weeks or months after a direct cremation. This can be especially meaningful for families who want time to gather, reflect, and create a ceremony that feels right for them, without time pressure.
The space supports ceremonies that are personal, gentle and authentic. Whether the service is quiet and intimate or filled with stories, music and shared memories, it always feels honest and unforced.
Having the Space and Time You Need
Heatherley Park also offers something that families really appreciate: the ability to use the whole space and remain together after the ceremony.
You can choose to hold a wake or gathering on site, allowing everyone to stay connected rather than rushing away. Sharing food, conversation and memories in such a peaceful environment can feel like a natural continuation of the ceremony – a softer, more supportive way to honour a life and be together in grief.
The People Behind the Place
The staff at Heatherley Park are exceptional. Just amazing!
Kind, calm and extremely attentive, with a genuine understanding of how vulnerable families can feel on these days. From my perspective as a celebrant, their care and professionalism make a real difference, ensuring each service unfolds smoothly and with dignity. They are a tower of strength to all of us.
Families often comment on how supported they felt – and that speaks volumes.
A Place That Feels Right
Choosing where to say goodbye is never easy. But Heatherley Park offers something truly special – a setting that feels respectful, natural and gentle.
It’s a place where funerals, memorials and celebrations of life can be held with warmth, meaning and care – allowing stories to be shared, tears to be shed, and love to be honoured in a way that feels right.
If you’re considering Heatherley Park for a funeral, whether burial or cremation, memorial, celebration of life, ashes interment or are deciding you need ‘something’ after a direct cremation, and would like a ceremony that truly reflects your loved one, I would be honoured to support you.
All photos credited to GreenAcres Heatherley Living Memorial Park
