Scattering ashes: UK rules and ideas

Deciding what to do with a loved one’s ashes is a personal choice, and there is no rush. Some families scatter them within weeks, while others keep them for years before the right moment comes. This guide explains the rules in the UK, where you need permission, and some of the many ways families remember someone.

Key points

• No specific law stops you scattering ashes, but you need the landowner’s permission on land you don’t own.
• On your own land, you don’t need permission.
• For rivers and lakes, follow the Environment Agency’s advice. If you meet it, you don’t need its permission.
• You don’t need a licence to scatter ashes at sea. Burying a body at sea is different and does need a licence.
• Ashes can also be buried, kept at home, divided, or scattered in a crematorium’s garden of remembrance.
• There is no time limit. The crematorium can hold ashes while you decide, though it may charge after a while.

Collecting the ashes

In England and Wales, the person who applied for the cremation tells the crematorium, on form Cremation 1, what should happen to the ashes. The options are:

• scattered or buried by the crematorium, usually in its garden of remembrance
• collected by the applicant, or by someone they nominate, such as the funeral director
• held while you decide.

If ashes aren’t collected as instructed, the crematorium must give 14 days’ notice before scattering or burying them. The ashes usually come in a simple container. You can move them to an urn or a scattering tube later if you wish.

Scattering on land

• Your own land or garden: no permission is needed. Remember that if you move house, the place stays behind. Some families bury the ashes in a container they could move in future.
• Someone else’s land: ask the landowner first. That includes farmers, estates, sports clubs and golf courses.
• Council parks and open spaces: ask the council. Some councils don’t allow scattering in parks. West Suffolk Council, for example, points out that ashes are very alkaline and can scorch or kill plants.
• National parks, heritage sites and beauty spots: land may be owned by councils, charities or private owners. Contact the owner or manager. Organisations such as the National Trust consider requests individually.
• Churchyards and cemeteries: many only allow ashes to be buried, not scattered, unless they have a scattering area. Ask the church or cemetery.

Tip: ashes are heavier and more gritty than people expect, and wind can blow them back. Scatter low, downwind of everyone, and consider digging them lightly into the soil rather than leaving a visible patch.

Scattering in rivers and lakes

The Environment Agency’s guidance for England says scattering ashes in rivers is unlikely to harm the environment, provided you take care. It advises:

• choosing a spot not near buildings, swimmers, people fishing, or marinas
• being more than 1km upstream of any point where water is taken for supply (your local Environment Agency office can tell you)
• scattering close to the water’s surface, and avoiding windy days
• not putting anything else in the water, including wreaths, flowers with wire or plastic, or personal items, and not leaving them on the bank.

If you can follow all of these, you don’t need the Environment Agency’s permission. If you can’t, or if many families use the same site, contact the Environment Agency first. For a riverbank, you may also need the landowner’s permission to get to the water.

In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the equivalent bodies are Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. The same good practice applies. Contact them if you’re unsure about a particular site.

Faith note: many Hindu and Sikh families immerse ashes in flowing water. Some take them to India, and others use a local river. Your temple or gurdwara can tell you about places used by your local community. See our Hindu and Sikh guides.

Scattering at sea

GOV.UK confirms you don’t need a licence or permission to scatter ashes at sea after a cremation. Many families scatter from a beach, a pier (with the owner’s agreement) or a boat. Some charter boats offer this service. Choose a calm day, and scatter on the side of the boat away from the wind.

A burial at sea of a body is different. In English waters it needs a marine licence from the Marine Management Organisation. There are three designated sites with a simpler licence (off the Needles on the Isle of Wight, between Hastings and Newhaven, and off Tynemouth), and you can apply for a standard licence to use another suitable location. See our guide to burial at sea. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing bodies.

Other options for ashes

Faith considerations

• Catholic: the Church asks that ashes are kept in a sacred place, such as a cemetery, churchyard or columbarium, rather than scattered, divided or kept at home. See our Catholic guide.
• Hindu, Sikh and Jain: immersion in flowing water is traditional.
• Other traditions: practices vary, so ask your faith leader. See our faith guides.

Planning a scattering ceremony

A scattering can be as simple or as formal as you like. It could be a few quiet minutes with close family, or a gathering with readings, music and a picnic. Ideas include choosing a meaningful date, reading a poem or a favourite passage, and taking photographs of the place. You could also plant something or place a small memorial nearby, with the landowner’s permission. Our guides to music and readings and writing a eulogy may help, and our eulogy writer can help you find the words.

Next steps

• Understand the process in what happens at a cremation.
• Find crematoria and natural burial grounds near you.
• If you’re finding things hard, see coping with grief and bereavement support.