Memorial ideas in Leicester

When a loved one dies and chooses to have their ashes scattered, their family and friends may want to designate a space in their memory to visit instead of a grave. 

A memorial, such as a dedicated tree or bench, can be a meaningful way to remember your loved one. It can give you a spot to visit and think about your loved one in an area that was significant to them, such as the town where they grew up or their favourite spot in the park. 

In Leicester, there are a number of ways you can set up a memorial for your loved one, including an entry in Gilroes Crematorium’s Book of Remembrance, or a planter in Gilroes Crematorium. 

Find your funeral director in Leicester who will help you arrange a cremation and give you ideas for a meaningful memorial.

Leicester City Council’s Book of Remembrance is a hand-bound book made of traditional, natural materials and is a permanent and beautiful way to commemorate your loved one. The book is turned every day to display the anniversary of every entry at the Remembrance Building at Gilroes Crematorium.

Your loved one’s entry isn’t just handwritten in the Book of Remembrance, but a digital image of their entry is also provided and is available every day. This entry can be viewed online and has three extra pages of photographs, poems, or a biography that you can add alongside the original entry. 

Miniature books and memorial cards are also available, containing a copy of the entry in the Book of Remembrance. These miniature books are hand-bound and have a grey suede cover embossed with ‘Remembrance’. Memorial cards, meanwhile, contain one or two inscriptions from the Book of Remembrance.

There are two options for a memorial plaque at Gilroes Crematorium, and these are a Barbican memorial plaque or an Athenia plaque. 

The Barbican memorial plaque is a beautiful granite memorial dedication mounted on the central pink granite column in the gardens and memorial seating areas at the cemetery. You can request an inscription on the plaques and ceramic photos, and other designs that can be dedicated for 10 years and renewed after that period is over. These are some memorial ideas that can help you memorialise your loved one in Leicester. 

Meanwhile, an Athenia plaque is a wall-mounted plaque that can be dedicated to your loved one and ceramic photographs and emblems can be included. The Athenia plaques can be found in the same room as the Book of Remembrance.

At Gilroes Crematorium you also have two options regarding memorial planters to dedicate to your loved one.

Octagonal memorial planters are honeycomb and grey granite planters that contain memorial plaques that can be dedicated to your loved one for 10 years. This can be renewed, or you can collect the plaque after the 10-year period is over. Flowers are planted at the top of the planter, and there are extra posy holders at the base to allow for single blooms or small sprays of fresh flowers.

Or you can opt for a granite sloping vase tablet. This is a polished black granite tablet with a gold vase inlet for fresh flowers. These tablets can be leased for 20 years, or even as a permanent memorial on a cremated remains plot. When leased for 20 years you can renew the dedication after the period is over, you can collect the plaque.

There are also options for granite memorial vaults at Gilroes crematorium. 

The first option is the Sanctum 2000 cremation vault. This is an above ground vault made of grey granite, with a polished black granite memorial plaque, and a vase of fresh flowers set into the base of the memorial. Two caskets of cremated remains can be placed in the vault inside the memorial chamber.

There is also the Sanctum 12 cremation vault. This is a distinctive columbarium with 12 niches made from grey granite with black granite memorial plaques. Two caskets of cremated remains can be placed inside the memorial chamber, and niches are available in the designated cremated remains garden.

There are memorial rose gardens planted at both Gilroes and Saffron Hill. A rose can be dedicated to your loved one for 5 years, and this dedication can be renewed. When a dedication is made, an inscribed plaque is placed in front of the rose. You can also dedicate a rose to two loved ones, and a double plaque can be provided. The rose gardens are well-maintained and replanting is carried out if necessary. If a rose fails or is damaged it will be quickly replaced. You can contact Leicester council’s Bereavement Services to book an appointment to view the available roses before the dedication.

Memorial trees have also been planted at Gilroes and Saffron Hill. These trees can be dedicated to a loved one for 10 years, and this can be renewed once the 10-year period is over. You can also make an appointment with Bereavement Services beforehand to view their available trees.