Where to scatter ashes in Sunderland

For many people, scattering ashes is a deeply personal moment. It can be a meaningful way to say goodbye and it’s important to take time to plan ahead and ensure you choose the right location for you and your loved one.

While some people choose to keep ashes at home in an urn, many people scatter ashes around natural beauty spots, usually places that have special memories attached to them. 

Scattering ashes is a great way of honouring your loved ones and in the UK people are generally allowed to scatter ashes anywhere. This can be along a river, in the sea, under a tree, at the beach or even on private land.

To scatter ashes in the sea or in a river then you do not need to have permission but there are some guidelines to follow and it’s recommended you seek advice from the environmental agency. For places inland it’s generally safe, but there are guidelines in place to protect nature and permission may need to be granted from the landowner. 

As Sunderland is home to areas of outstanding national beauty, there are many places for families and friends to scatter ashes, from the River Wear, to the heather moors in the North Pennines. 

Find your funeral director in Sunderland who will help you arrange a cremation and give you ideas of a meaningful place to scatter your loved one's ashes.

A hidden gem of the northeast English coast, Roker Beach is a white, sandy beach also known as Whitburn South. Popular activities at the beach include kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, fishing, cycling, and walking. Roker Beach promises beautiful, dramatic views which make for a memorable and special day to scatter a loved one’s ashes. You may even spot some dolphins at the right time of year.

On the day you scatter your loved one’s ashes, you and your family can head to the many lovely cafes found on the beach, or take a stroll through the display gardens. 

Dogs are allowed on certain areas of the beach, and there are basic toilet facilities dotted along the beach. Parking can be difficult as it is often busy, although limited parking is available at nearby supermarkets. 

Located in the northeast of England, the River Wear starts in Wearhead, County Durham, and flows into the North Sea at Sunderland. 

The River Wear is woven into the history of the Industrial Revolution, with its upper end running through lead mining country before intertwining with the coal seams of the Durham coalfield. Due to coal mining, lead mining, and limestone quarrying, the Wear Valley became one of the first places to see the development of the railway, and the Weardale Railway still runs occasional services between Stanhope and Wolsingham. 

Today, the River Wear sees anglers wading in its waters and kayakers and canoers taking leisurely paddles. The stunning, scenic river is the ideal beauty spot to scatter your loved one’s ashes and is a calm place to reflect and remember them.

The North Pennines is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a UNESCO Global Geopark and an excellent place to connect with nature. The team at the North Pennines work hard to conserve and enrich the natural beauty there. 

It is a stunning, diverse landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, dales and meadows, upland rivers, and woods. It’s also home to animals, birds, and plants you will not find anywhere else, such as the short-eared owl, ring ouzel, snipe, and redshank. 

The biggest waterfall in England, the High Force in Upper Teesdale, is also located in the North Pennines. Not only is this a lovely, breathtaking place to scatter your loved one’s ashes, but it is also a lovely place to return to and reflect.