A 5,000 year old tradition has been revived in Wiltshire, UK.

1. A new 5,000 year old innovation
The county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, is
famous for its ancient landmarks. Stonehenge is
probably one of the most iconic structures in the world,
there are white horses carved into chalk hillsides all
over the county – old and new – and a number of Long
Barrows, the most famous of which is at West Kennet,
near the Avebury stone circle.
The Long Barrows are pretty ancient. The West Kennet
Barrow is thought to date from 3650 BC and remained
in use for about 1,000 years before the entrance was
sealed. Despite that, both cremated and partial
remains of some of the people interred inside still exist;
an incredible thought. And now, close to nearby All
Cannings, a new Long Barrow (a columbarium) has been
built to house the remains of modern people.
It is an extraordinary achievement not just of planning,
design and execution but also of catching the zeitgeist.
The barrow has really sparked imaginations and opened
discussions about alternatives to traditional burial
arrangements. Cremation is the most likely method of
disposal in the UK, but local authority run cemeteries
are perceived as municipal and churchyards are either
full or unsuitable. There is growing interest in
scattering ashes, or interring in alternative sites which is
why the barrow at All Cannings is the perfect fit,
especially in a county filled with Neolithic mystery.
UK Burial Authority regulations allow only a 99 year
lease on a niche and a niche can take up to 6 urns
(depending on size). Although there are no guarantees
beyond that 99 year period, it is unlikely that the
barrow will ever be destroyed or built over, since it sits
in the middle of Wiltshire farmland. A few families have
already booked their niche and it looks as though this
alternative to more recent traditions is, once again,
here to stay.
thelongbarrow
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