Family-run funeral firm unveils revamped crematorium in Lichfield after £350K investment

Award-winning funeral director A.W. Lymn has invested in state-of-the-art facilities and grounds work at Hammerwich Crematorium and Cemetery - formerly known as Chase & District Memorial Park.

The business has transformed the the eight-acre site, which it acquired last August as its first operational  site in the West Midlands, and it is now open for services following a three-month period of closure.

The more than a century-old firm of funeral directors, established in Nottingham in 1907 by Arthur William Lymn, A.W. Lymn has become the largest independent funeral firm in the East Midlands operating 25 branches across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire - but it wanted a site to begin serving families further afield.

The location at Burntwood includes a crematorium and a cemetery that has served the community for more than a decade - offering burials and cremations for people in Burntwood, Lichfield and Hammerwich. It was rebranded by A.W. Lymn as Hammerwich Crematorium & Cemetery earlier this year, with a new website launched in July. 

Upgrades and improvements including a complete chapel refurbishment, comprising new doors and ceiling, new air conditioning, a new state-of-the-art audio/visual system including top of the range speakers and flat screens, a new canopy for vehicles pulling up and leaving the site and a complete re-tarmac of the whole site have taken place over recent months. 

Work is also being undertaken to increase the amount of car parking space available at the site from 19 spaces to 52.

Pete Clarson, commercial director at A.W. Lymn, said: “We’re really pleased to report that since acquiring Hammerwich, the number of cremations being conducted here has already doubled –and that’s before our refurbishment works have been completed.

“It is wonderful to see Hammerwich Crematorium and Cemetery undergoing such a transformation. Our investment reflects our commitment to providing families with dignified, comfortable surroundings capable of modern and traditional services."

Hammerwich Crematorium and Cemetery manager Jane Baker said: “It’s incredibly exciting to witness this level of care and investment being brought into the site. A.W. Lymn’s vision for Hammerwich aligns perfectly with our hopes for the future and the improvements already taking shape show just how committed our new owners are to local families.

“The developments we’re seeing at Hammerwich are really impressive. The community is going to benefit enormously from this refurbishment for generations to come.”

A.W. Lymn plans to further support its team at Hammerwich, which has grown from two to four members of staff, continue investing in the site’s infrastructure and strengthen relationships with local funeral directors and the community.

Further down the line, should alternative funeral processes become available in the UK, it may also look to offer more eco-friendly water cremations, managing director Matthew Lymn Rose said.

He added: "It's not something we can offer straight away but it's something we've looked into. We want to be ahead of the curve offering what people want."

The community, including people with family connections to Hammerwich, residents who live nearby, local funeral directors, religious leaders and celebrants were invited to the official opening ceremony of the refurbished Hammerwich Crematorium and Cemetery on October 3.

Matthew Lymn Rose said: "It went really well. There was a real range of people that came and seemed to be impressed. It seemed to be well-received."

He stressed that the revamped facility, located off the A5195, is available for "anyone who wants to use it from any location, from any religion from any background" and he added: "We're there to be all embracing, but we want to offer people high quality, we want to offer people high service because that's what our entire brand is built on - giving people the best in their time of need."