Visit to Brightwater Memorial Park
Today I had the pleasure of meeting Jackie Heasman of Brightwater Memorial Park. Along with husband Bill, they have created the UK’s first above-ground mausoleum.
“What is an above-ground mausoleum?” I hear you ask!
Simply put, instead of burying the deceased in the ground the remains are interred in a purpose-built structure, above the ground. The word ‘mausoleum’ takes its name from one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Queen Artemisia II of Caria, in modern day Turkey, wanted to honour her fallen husband, King Mausolus. She built the famed Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, with the impressive structure taking its name from the dead King. It was eventually destroyed by a succession of earthquakes but colossal free-standing statues and marble relief slabs from the mausoleum can be seen in British Museum.
The great pyramids of Egypt were created as burial chambers for the Pharaohs, but the most iconic mausoleum of modern time must be the Taj Mahal. It was built using white marble in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife. The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and a universally admired masterpiece of world heritage. Shah Jahan had intended to build a mausoleum for himself, entirely of black marble, but he was deposed and died before work was underway.
Above ground burials are common in the Mediterranean and in areas where the land is prone to waterlogging, like in New Orleans.
Jackie and Bill built the impressive Brightwater Memorial Park on a peaceful Kent hillside, nestled only 10 minutes from the M25. They have created a beautiful, calm indoor space that families can visit and spend time to remember their loved ones. For families who have tragically lost a child, they take comfort in not having to put their beloved child in the ground. Instead, they are interred in a chamber that can be personalised and decorated. The families can view videos and photos or listen to a personally selected play list when they visit. By booking an appointment to visit, they are assured of privacy and can spend their time in comfort, indoors. The mausoleum is surrounded by rose filled gardens and is a beautiful space to remember loved ones. Tea, coffee and refreshments are on hand, and visits are actively encouraged by Jackie and Bill.
Personally, I found it to be a serene place of remembrance where sunlight streamed in through roof lights. From the stunning hand-cut porcelain clad walls (a testament to Bill’s tenacity and love of architecture!) and the abundance of fresh flowers to the tranquil water feature in the garden – every detail has been taken into consideration and executed to the highest standard.
In 2021 BBC Science Focus reported on the growing concern for the lack of cemetery space “according to research published in early 2021, a quarter of council-owned cemeteries will be full to capacity in 10 years and one-in-six will be full within five”. Tower Hamlets Cemetery had its last burial in 1966. While cremation has become more popular, the living still need a space to visit their lost loved ones.
Currently, Brightwater is the only one of its kind in the UK, but as funeral traditions change, and we move towards ‘celebration’ instead of ‘commemoration’ mausoleums could be the way we honour and remember our loved ones in the future.
Brightwater Memorial Park, Old Hill, Orpington, Kent, BR6 6BN, UK
Tel: 01689 850880
Email: info@brightwater.group
