Three Counties Crematorium

Telephone: 01376 553489

Crematorium information

Three Counties Crematorium in Braintree was officially opened June 2009 by the Right Reverend J Gladwin, Bishop of Chelmsford.

During the Second Word War the crematorium site was used as a prisoner of war camp, housing Italian prisoners, until they surrendered in 1943, and German prisoners until 1947. None of the prisoners tried to escape and they were even allowed to leave the camp, often visiting the cinema in Braintree. A few remained in the local area following the war and one, Eberhard Wendler, who was just 17 years old when captured, placed a remembrance plaque at the official opening ceremony.

Our chapel is modern, light and spacious and can seat up to 108 people. We can accommodate larger funerals with extra standing in the foyer and outdoor space equipped with speaker system to still hear the service. The chapel is also multi-faith meaning we can help you arrange the service according to your cultural and religious needs. 

As part of our service to you, we can provide a music system, webcasting, visual tributes and keepsakes for your service, all of which is linked to our hearing loop.

The crematorium also has access for the less-abled, accessible toilets, car parking for 70 vehicles and four accessible parking spaces.

Our tranquil and beautiful gardens of remembrance are cared for by our grounds staff to a high standard, and provide an area of quiet contemplation to help families remember their loved ones. We have a number of memorial options to offer, including scattering, plaques and private gardens and our memorial staff will be on hand to help with your memorial option.

We treat every family with dignity and respect, and on the day of the service we will be there to help you every step of the way.

Admin office email address - threecounties.crematorium@thecmg.co.uk

Memorial office email address - threecounties.memorialoffice@thecmg.co.uk

Memorial Brochure - Three Counties Memorial Brochure 2023 (funeralstationeryonline.co.uk)

Facebook Page - Three Counties Crematorium Essex | Braintree | Facebook

Opening Hours

The Office:
Our office is open Monday - Friday 09:00 - 17:00. We encourage booking an appointment prior to visiting. Please contact the crematorium to make an appointment.

The collection of cremated remains are to be arranged by appointment.

The Grounds:
Our grounds remain open to members of the public all year round 08:00 – 17:00.

The Memorial Office:
Appointments can be made by contacting the crematorium by telephone or email.

The Book of Remembrance Room:
Our Book of Remembrance is available during normal office hours 9-5 Monday to Friday. For book of remembrance on the weekends this will need to be booked in via the office Monday to Friday for us to make sure it's open as the site is closed on a Saturday and Sunday.
Book of Remembrance is also online at https://www.remembrance-books.com/threecounties/

Parking

There are 70 parking spaces and 4 accessible parking spaces available.

Three Counties Crematorium

Our fees

We know that understanding what goes into the cost of a funeral can sometimes be difficult for families. We also recognise that understanding the overall financial implications of arranging a funeral is important. To this end we have included a downloadable price list of the services available to you.

It is important to us that any confusion is completely removed to help families to fully understand what the Cremation Fee includes, and what this means as part of the wider cost of the funeral. We have outlined the elements that are necessary to provide a cremation service to you below, although of course we would be happy to discuss any further queries you might have directly with you. You can contact us at any time to talk through any further options and any fees that might apply.

The cremation fee includes the following:

• All professional services relating to the administration and registration of the cremation, in line with statutory regulation.
• The use of our Chapel along with the assistance of a trained staff member on the day of the service.
• The provision of music during the funeral service (please contact the Crematorium for details of our available options).
• The sensitive handling of the cremation in line with environmental legislation.
• The appropriate national environmental levy for mercury abatement.
• The scattering or interment of the ashes within our Gardens of Remembrance, or the preparation for their removal along with a suitable container and the Cremation Certificate.
• Alternatively, we will look after the ashes safely and securely at our Crematoria site and can share with you the various options and next steps available to care for your loved ones ashes.

We also offer weekend services, fees for which along with  other available services are detailed in the PDF attachment entitled Cremation Price List

Direct cremation

We have a number of options available to meet the ever increasing demand for this service which are detailed below.

Unattended Direct Cremation

• There will be no service in the chapel and no mourners in attendance.
• Sometime following the cremation, staff at the Crematorium will contact the Applicant to confirm instructions for the ashes in order to offer any further assistance. There are many occasions when families change their decision having had time for further thought and discussion.

Attended Direct Cremation

• The attended direct cremation is available at 9.00am.
• This option enables families to attend the crematorium to see the coffin in the chapel and be able to spend a few moments with the coffin before the leaving the chapel.
• The crematorium staff will be available to help and assist you during the time at the crematorium, showing you both in and out of the chapel at the appropriate times.
• Music may also be played should you wish.
• Sometime following the cremation, staff at the Crematorium will contact the Applicant to confirm instructions for the ashes in order to offer any further assistance. There are many occasions when families change their mind having had time for further thought.

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