A Shepherd & Sons Funeral Directors

When someone dies, the first steps will depend on how and where the person passed away. Our step-by-step guides will walk you through the practical steps. For additional support and personal advice, please get in touch with us.

You don't have to make an appointment at our funeral homes. However, doing so will ensure that someone can be available to cater to your needs. When arranging a funeral, our Funeral Directors are happy to visit you in your own home, if required.

Third party funeral costs are additional charges which we will manage for you and attach to your single invoice. Get in touch with us to confirm costs and plan a funeral to fit your budget.

If you choose to arrange the funeral with us, you will be given the option of a complimentary Funeral Notice. We will set it up for you using the details discussed during the arrangements. All we need is an email address.

Dignity Funeral Plans let you pay for your funeral in advance and at today's price. It's a way of taking control of the unexpected, setting out the arrangements and limiting the costs by paying for the services included in the funeral plan upfront.

We are a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors and as such we abide by The Funeral Director Code. We also have a legal obligation to try and ensure the person who is arranging a funeral has the right to do so, or has permission from those who do.

If you are aware that someone has been appointed as the administrator, you should only arrange the funeral with this person's agreement.

If there is no Will or Letters of Administration, then the responsibility would pass to the next of kin.

A Memorial is a way of creating a lasting memory to help remember a loved one.

Dignity has been established for over 200 years and is one of the UK's leading providers of Funerals and with an 'Excellent' Trustpilot rating (02/24). We are proud to help our customers every year with a diverse range of Memorial products and services to help remember their loved ones.

We offer a wide range of products – from traditional headstones, kerb sets, urns and benches to remembrance trees, plaques and vases. We also offer more personal and modern options such as jewellery, pin badges and photo related memorial products. As well as completely customised items.To organise your Memorial contact us on 01482 323510

From 9 September 2024, there will no longer be a doctor's fee in England and Wales when arranging a funeral. This is because from this date, all deaths in England and Wales will be independently viewed, either by a relevant coroner or by a Medical Examiner and the cost will be met by the NHS.

A Medical Examiner is a specifically trained independent senior doctor who will scrutinise all deaths across a local area that do not fall under the coroner's jurisdiction. By providing a greater level of scrutiny over the cause of deaths; it is hoped that the introduction of Medical Examiners will make it less likely that unnatural causes of death will go unnoticed; that the number of deaths unnecessarily referred to the coroner will be reduced and that national data about causes of death will be captured with greater accuracy.

Medical Examiners, or Medical Examiner Officers, will also be available to meet with families, or their representatives, if they wish to discuss the cause of death.