Worcester City Council has announced temporary arrangements for funeral services while the city’s Crematorium in Astwood Road is closed for a major refurbishment.

From Monday 4 August, services will instead be held at the KGV Community Hub in Ash Avenue, off Brickfields Road – just seven minutes’ walk from Astwood Cemetery.

After the service, cremations will be carried out at Redditch Crematorium. The ashes will be returned to the KGV Hub for collection, unless the family has made alternative arrangements with their funeral director.

During the refurbishment, scheduled to last for nine months, the Astwood Cemetery grounds will remain open. As a result, burials will continue as normal, both there and at St John’s Cemetery. It will also still be possible to scatter ashes in Astwood Cemetery’s garden of remembrance.

Councillor Zoe Cookson, Chair of Worcester City Council’s Environment Committee, said:

“Generations of Worcester people have said farewell to their loved ones at Astwood Crematorium and we wanted to keep the level of disruption to a minimum during the essential refurbishment works. With the KGV Community Hub only a short distance from the Crematorium, we hope that this reduces any inconvenience caused by these temporary arrangements.

“The Council’s Bereavement Services team are working hard to ensure that arrangements and facilities are in place at the KGV Hub to create the appropriate atmosphere for grieving families to pay their respects.”

From 4 August, four services will be available each day at the KGV Hub. Worcester Community Trust, which operates the building on behalf of Worcester City Council, will continue to offer community activities at the venue in the evenings and at weekends.

The refurbishment of Astwood Crematorium will see the existing gas-fired cremators replaced with more efficient electric models, alongside a range of other improvements.

During the refurbishment, the cemetery grounds will remain open, with a small number of restrictions in place.

The memorial wall plaques on the outside of the crematorium building will not be accessible to the public. The City Council is contacting all the families whose loved ones are commemorated on these plaques.

The Book of Remembrance will be temporarily moved to the Guildhall from Monday 21 July, for the duration of the refurbishment. It will be available in the Green Room during the Guildhall’s normal opening hours.

Worcester Guildhall’s opening hours are:

  • Monday: 09:00-16:00
  • Tuesday: 09:00-16:00
  • Wednesday: 09:30-16:00
  • Thursday: 09:00-16:00
  • Friday: 09:00-15:45
  • Saturday: 09:30-16:00
  • Sunday: Closed