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Bartholomew and Sons Funeral Home Rotherham White Dove

Frequently asked questions

Please see our list of frequently asked questions. These questions are here to help you get a quick answer to any query you may have. If you’d like to ask us a specific question, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

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01709 363 706
What services do you offer?

We are here to help you arrange a unique and personal funeral for your loved one, whatever your needs and budget. We provide a full range of funeral services to help and support you every step of the way.

We arrange traditional cremations, burials, direct cremations, eco and natural funerals, woodland burials and also repatriation. And we take care of every detail on your behalf, including managing all the legal paperwork, care and transportation of your loved one, as well as helping you with personal details such as floral tributes.

We also offer pre-paid funeral plans, and memorial services.

Yes, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide immediate assistance to families.

Please call us on 01709 363 707 (Rotherham)
For non-urgent matters, our office hours are 8.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

Please call us on 01709 812 158 (Maltby)
For non-urgent matters, our office hours are 10.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Friday.

We understand that arranging a funeral for a loved one is an upsetting and emotional time. And we also know that most people have had to do this before, so we are here to help you every step of the way.

You can call us anytime, and our caring and compassionate team will help and guide you through all the choices and decisions that have to be made, to help you create a funeral that is truly unique to your loved one.

Our funeral homes are designed to provide you with a comfortable and private space to help you feel at ease while you go through the process of arranging the funeral. Or if preferred, we offer home visits so you can discuss funeral arrangements in a familiar setting.

Yes, Bartholomew’s is an independent family-run funeral home with a history dating back over 125 years. Today, the business is run by James Bartholomew, fifth generation funeral director, and his team of funeral professionals, who all live locally and are part of the communities they serve. The team are all proud to continue the family tradition of helping local families through this difficult time.

Funeral costs vary based on the type of service chosen and the decisions you make to personalise the service. We offer affordable funerals and are always fully transparent with our costs to ensure you fully understand the overall cost, allowing you to make the right choices for you and your budget.

Yes, we have tranquil private chapels of rest where families can spend time with their loved one before the funeral service. Our team of caring and compassionate funeral professionals will be on hand for your entire visit to support you and answer any questions you may have.

A direct cremation is a simple, low-cost cremation that takes place without a funeral service, the traditional rituals of a funeral, or mourners present. It’s an affordable alternative for families who prefer a private remembrance.

The cost of an attended cremation funeral is £2,605 for our funeral director services plus between £802 and £999 for the cremation fee paid to the local crematorium. The total cost also depends on the choices you make to personalise the funeral, with items such as the coffin, hearse, transport, orders of service, floral tributes and memorials.

At Bartholomew’s we are always fully transparent with our costs and provide you with a running total to ensure you fully understand the overall cost, which allows you to make the right choices for you and your budget.

Our direct cremation package includes the collection and care of your loved one in our funeral home. We will take care of all the legal paperwork and arrangements for the cremation to proceed. We will respectfully and with dignity transport your loved one to the local crematorium. After the cremation, the ashes can be scattered in the garden of remembrance at the crematorium, or we can arrange to collect the ashes and return them to you.

Yes, families often arrange a separate memorial service or scattering of ashes ceremony after a direct cremation.

Yes, we offer a wide variety of decorative urns and keepsake jewellery and memorials to honour your loved one.

Yes, we offer pre-payment funeral plans which are a way to pre-arrange and pre-pay for your funeral in advance.

By taking care of funeral costs in advance with a pre-paid funeral plan, you can protect loved ones from having to deal with unexpected costs at the time. And by deciding on the funeral arrangements you want in advance, you can also protect them from the stress of having to decide what kind of funeral you would have wanted, at the same time as having to deal with their own grief.

We work with Golden Charter, one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers (1) to provide you with a plan that can bring peace of mind to you and your family. You pay a fixed cost for the services included in the plan you have chosen. You can pay for the funeral plan in either a lump sum payment or by instalments. 

(1) Based on Golden Charter analysis and independent research of funeral plan market size, as at May 2024.

Exactly what’s included in a pre-paid funeral plan does depend on which plan is chosen. Our pre-paid funeral plans cover our funeral director’s services, which means our fees will be fixed at today’s prices and protected against rising costs. These services typically include our professional services to arrange the funeral, transportation of the deceased and care and preparation of your loved one for the funeral. It includes advice on the certification and registration of death and related documentation, and suitable coffin. 

Depending on the plan type chosen, a Golden Charter funeral plan can include a contribution towards some third-party funerals costs which are out of the control of the funeral director, such as crematorium fee, a Minister or officiant’s fee, cemetery fee for the opening of a new or existing grave for burial or interment of cremated remains. 

A direct cremation is a really simple and straightforward cremation that happens without a formal service or anyone attending the crematorium. Think of it as just the cremation part, handled with all the respect and care your loved one deserves. Because there’s no service or procession, it’s a more budget-friendly option. If you’re looking for an affordable funeral in Rotherham, this can be a good option.

A traditional funeral usually involves a service where family and friends come together to say their goodbyes, share memories, and support each other.

A direct cremation, on the other hand, focuses solely on the cremation itself, with no formal gathering at the crematorium. This helps keep costs down, as we don’t need funeral cars, a minister or celebrant, flowers, or service booklets.

It is worth thinking about who the funeral is for, the deceased or the people left behind. Sometimes, the coming together of loved ones is a very important part of the grieving process. If you want to discuss options, please call us at any time.

There are a few reasons. Firstly, it’s a much more affordable option, which can be a real help. Secondly, some people prefer the simplicity of it, avoiding the traditional funeral rituals. And lastly, it gives families the flexibility to hold a memorial or celebration of life whenever and wherever they want, maybe even scattering the ashes in a special place.

If cost is your only concern, let’s chat about ways to make a traditional funeral with a service more affordable. We can also provide you with information about ways to spread the cost of a funeral and for some people there may be government support for funeral costs.

At Bartholomew & Sons, our direct cremation service is £1,355. Our Intimate Cremation, which allows a few people to attend for a short committal service, starts from £2,125. Traditional funerals can vary a lot in price, but they’re generally more expensive because of the added services. Our Bespoke Service costs £2,605. We are here to help you arrange a funeral that is right for you, whatever your needs or budget. 

We take great care of your loved one right here at Bartholomew & Sons from both our Rotherham and Maltby funeral homes. They’ll be looked after in our mortuary, and you can even choose for them to be dressed in their own clothes. You’re also welcome to visit them in our Chapel of Rest. 

All arrangements for the direct cremation are undertaken at our funeral home by our experienced, professional and caring team at Bartholomew’s. 

On the day of the cremation, we’ll transport them respectfully to Rotherham Crematorium. We’ll take a moment to pay our respects, and you can even choose a piece of music to be played. Afterwards the ashes can be scattered in the Garden of Remembrance at the Crematorium, or we can collect them for you to pick up from our funeral home. 

It’s important to know that online companies offering direct cremations work very differently to local funeral directors, often moving the deceased to a large mortuary facility far away where visiting your loved one is not allowed. All arrangements are made over the telephone with a call centre and after the cremation the ashes are simply couriered back to you.

If you choose Bartholomew & Sons, the cremation will take place right here at Rotherham Crematorium. If you opt for an online provider, it’ll likely be at a centralised crematorium somewhere else in the UK.

With a direct cremation service, it’s not possible to attend the actual cremation. However, if attending the crematorium to witness the committal is important to you, our Intimate Cremation service allows a small number of people to attend for a short while. This is a good middle ground for some families

We use a simple, respectful, and dignified coffin for direct cremations.

You have a few options. The ashes can be scattered on your behalf at the Crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance, or you can collect them from us when you are ready. 

At Bartholomew’s, we can support and guide you with what to do with the ashes afterwards. You may wish to keep them in a beautiful urn. Or if you wish for them to be interred or scattered, we can help you with this. Alternatively, you may wish to create a piece of keepsake jewellery that contains a small amount of the ashes. Or there are many other keepsake items to choose from.

Typically, the ashes are ready for collection within 2-3 days. We’ll let you know as soon as they’re available, or we can hold onto them for you until you’re ready.

Yes absolutely. Many families choose to hold a separate memorial service or gathering after a direct cremation. It can be a lovely way to celebrate a life and share memories. It can be at a time and date that is more personal to you and could include the interment or scattering of ashes. It could even be an online event if it’s difficult to get everyone together in real life.

Yes, you can. At Bartholomew & Sons Funeral Directors we offer a pre-paid direct cremation plan that allows you to pay in advance and can give you and your family peace of mind. And by planning ahead, you ensure that your direct cremation will be taken care of by Bartholomew’s here in Rotherham. Feel free to ask us for more information.

Yes, Bartholomew & Sons offers a range of eco-friendly funeral options including biodegradable coffins, woodland burials, and environmentally conscious cremation alternatives. Our funeral directors can arrange services with sustainable floral tributes, digital orders of service, or memorial tree plantings. We’ll guide you through creating a dignified, environmentally responsible celebration of life while honouring your loved one’s values.

Bartholomew & Sons provides comprehensive bereavement support beyond the funeral service. Our caring funeral directors can connect you with local grief counsellors and support groups in Rotherham. 

We also offer the SAIFCare Chat service, which is a package of bereavement support services including a telephone bereavement careline and email support. SAIFCare is supported by GriefChat, created by bereavement experts where you can talk directly to a specially trained bereavement counsellor.

SAIF Care Helpline: 0800 917 7224
Email: help@saifcare.org.uk

Bartholomew & Sons provides ongoing bereavement care with connections to local counselling services, grief support groups, and memorial events in Rotherham and surrounding areas. Our funeral directors offer follow-up support and resources throughout your grief journey, remaining available whenever you need guidance or assistance.

Bartholomew & Sons’ Rotherham funeral home serves families in Rotherham, Maltby and the surrounding areas. Our experienced funeral directors work with all local crematoriums, cemeteries, and celebrants to create meaningful funeral services. Whatever your needs across the region, our compassionate team ensures dignified arrangements tailored to honour your loved one.

Bartholomew & Sons’ funeral directors help create unique celebrations of life with personalised music, video tributes, memory displays, and custom orders of service. We work closely with you to incorporate meaningful elements that reflect your loved one’s personality, ensuring a dignified and personal funeral service.

Contact Bartholomew & Sons on 01709 363 706 any time, day or night.

Our funeral directors will provide immediate guidance once the death has been confirmed by a medical professional.

If the death occurs in a care home or hospital, the staff will deal with the initial steps to get the death confirmed by a medical professional, and they will advise you when you can contact us.

Our compassionate team will bring your loved one into our care and handle all necessary funeral arrangements with care and dignity during this difficult time.

Bartholomew & Sons helps with all aspects of funeral notifications. Our funeral directors can assist with newspaper announcements, and we provide an online Funeral Notices service which allows you to share the details online with family and friends. We’ll guide you on appropriate wording to ensure everyone important to your loved one is informed of the funeral service arrangements with care and dignity. 

The very first step is to notify the relevant people to confirm the death. The steps to take are slightly different spending on depend on where and how the death occurred:

  • If the death occurs at home your family will need to contact the GP that your loved one is registered with to confirm the death. If this isn’t possible, call the NHS helpline on 111.
  • If the death occurs at home but was unexpected, call emergency services (999). They will attend and likely contact the police. The police will determine the next steps, which may involve the coroner.
  • If the death occurred in a hospital or care home the staff will usually take the initial steps and inform you of what needs to happen next. They will contact you to discuss individual arrangements.

Our team at Bartholomew & Sons are here to support and guide you through this process and can talk you through the steps to take.

No, you are not legally required to use a funeral director in the UK. Families can arrange a funeral themselves, however it’s important to understand that this involves a significant amount of organisation, paperwork, and practical tasks, including:

  • Transporting the deceased.
  • Caring for the deceased before the funeral.
  • Arranging the necessary documentation.
  • Organising the service and committal for either a cremation or burial
  • Liaising with crematoria, cemeteries and officiants.

Many people find that the support and expertise of a funeral director are invaluable during this difficult time. Not only can they handle these practicalities and guide you through the process, they also provide care and compassion to help you through this difficult time.

Funeral costs in the UK vary significantly depending on several factors. 

For example a burial funeral is usually the most expensive type of funeral due to the costs of the burial plot and associated fees. 

Funeral director fees can vary depending on the type of funeral you wish for, for example a fully personalised cremation will cost more than a simple cremation or an unattended direct cremation. 

Venue costs can vary for different crematoria or cemeteries within an area. And some days of the week and times of day can be more costly. 

And the optional extras you choose also have an impact on the total cost. These may include things such as flowers, orders of service booklets, musicians, the wake and memorials. 

At Bartholomew & Sons, our fees in May 2025 are as follows: 

  • Bespoke funeral – from £2,605 plus third-party fees which must be paid (crematorium or burial fees), plus any additional options chosen to personalise the funeral.
  • Simple funeral – from £1,800 plus third-party fees which must be paid (crematorium or burial fees), plus any additional options chosen to personalise the funeral.
  • Intimate cremation (including cremation fee) – from £2,125, plus any additional options chosen to personalise the funeral.
  • Direct Cremation (including cremation fee) – £1,355

Once you have made all the decisions about the funeral, we ask for a deposit to be paid. This allows us to secure the services of the venues and officiants. 

One week after the funeral, we’ll send you an invoice for the remaining balance.  

You can pay by bank transfer or debit or credit card. Or you can pay by cash or cheque.

A funeral is typically arranged and takes place within one to two weeks after the initial arrangement meeting. However, it can be shorter or longer depending on the circumstances listed below. For example, 

  • The wishes of the deceased and the family can impact on the time taken to arrange the funeral, as more elaborate or personalised funerals may take longer to plan. 
  • Your choice for cremation or burial depends on the availability at the crematorium/church or burial ground.  
  • The availability of venues and officiants, with specific venues or popular dates and times possibly having longer waiting times.
  • Obtaining the necessary documents like the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death can take a few days. If the coroner is involved, it may take longer.

At Bartholomew and Sons, we will be able to give you a more specific timeframe based on your individual needs.

Yes, in most cases, you can see your loved one before the funeral. 

At Bartholomew and Sons we have a private and peaceful chapel of rest where you can visit and spend time with your loved one before the funeral. 

The opportunity to view can be important for many people as part of the grieving process and to say a final goodbye. But visiting is a very personal personal decision and there is no pressure from us in relation to this.

During the arrangement meeting, we will ask if you would like to visit your loved one whilst they are resting with us. If you would like to spend time with your loved one, we do ask that visiting is booked by appointment to ensure your loved one is prepared in advance with dignity and care. You can specify the conditions of the viewing, for example whether you would like the coffin open or closed. 

There may be specific circumstances where visiting is not recommended, but we will speak to you about this and will give you all the relevant information allowing you to make an informed decision that is right for you.

During the visit, we will be there to support you throughout and answer any questions you might have.

Pure Cremation is the name of an online company that provides direct cremations.

At Bartholomew and Sons we also offer a direct cremation service to local families in Rotherham and the surrounding areas. Our local funeral business has been helping families in Rotherham say goodbye to their loved ones for generations. We believe our service offers local families a much more personal experience.

We can look after your loved one locally, with the option for you to visit if you wish. We will be here for you face to face, to support you and discuss any specific requirements you may have, such as the clothes your loved one is dressed in. This level of service is not available with a national company such as Pure Cremations.

After the direct cremation, and if you wish to, our funeral directors can help you arrange a memorial service to scatter or inter the ashes, or plan ways to create a long-lasting memorial memento such as jewellery or other special keepsakes.

By choosing a local funeral director, you are also supporting a business that is deeply rooted in and actively supporting the local community.  

At Bartholomew and Sons, our Direct Cremation service (including the cremation fee) costs £1,355 (July 2025). This is our most affordable package, making it an ideal choice for families seeking a budget-friendly option. 

A direct cremation does not include a service, nor does it allow family members to attend the crematorium to witness the committal. 

However, our dedicated team will uphold the same respect as in all our funeral services. We will carefully transport your loved one to the crematorium and bow our heads as a mark of respect before the chapel attendant assumes responsibility.

If you would like to attend the committal, we do offer an Intimate Cremation package which allows families to attend the crematorium.

Our direct cremation service is our most cost-effective funeral package that offers all of the same advice, support and guidance as with our other Bartholomew and Sons funeral services.

It is an alternative choice for those families who don’t want the fuss or rituals of a traditional funeral service. It’s a practical, simple and quiet send off. 

A direct cremation does not include a service for mourners therefore, when choosing this type of cremation it is important to note that family and friends are not able to attend crematorium to witness the committal or to gather together to remember and honour the person before the cremation. 

Alternatively, it provides families with the option to arrange their own personalised memorial service after the cremation at a time and location that is more personal. This might simply be a gathering together of family and friends at home, a local hotel, pub or community hall. Or it could be a memorial service to scatter or inter the ashes.   

We always encourage families who are considering a direct cremation to remember that a funeral is an important part of healing and dealing with grief, and the emotional value this can provide to family members, far outweighs the financial costs of an attended funeral.

Once you receive the ashes you might want to scatter them or have them interred in a privately arranged ceremony. Alternatively we can discuss the options for creating a lasting memorial in the form of a cremation plaque, ashes jewellery or a keepsake for you to love and treasure.

Yes, in certain circumstances help is available from the government (Funeral Expenses Payment). You will need to check your eligibility, but you may be entitled if you get certain benefits, meet the rules on your relationship with the deceased and you’re arranging a funeral in the UK.

For more information, search online for Funeral Expenses Payment, or click here for more information

At Bartholomew and Sons, we have a modern fleet of funeral cars including a black motor hearse and limousines.

Or if you’d prefer something a little different, we can arrange for an alternative hearse such as a horse drawn hearse, or a vehicle related to a specific interest such as a specially converted motorbike, Land Rover or VW camper van.

There are a lot of options to choose from, and we will be happy to help you find the perfect choice for the day.

An Intimate Cremation is a way for a small number of mourners (12 people) to be able to attend the crematorium to witness the committal. This type of service gives you a short time to pay your respects and have a moment of remembrance. 

A Simple Funeral provides a more traditional cremation (or burial) service. There are no restrictions on the number of people who can attend the service, but there may be limitations based on the size of the crematorium. We can advise on the total capacity of a crematorium if you think a large number of people will be attending the service. 

We work with several trusted local florists in Rotherham and would be happy to recommend some options to you based on your specific needs and wishes.  
       

Bartholomew and Sons Funeral Home Rotherham Grey Dove

Let us help you

We are here to help you in every way we can. Call us or email us with any questions. For urgent assistance, call us on 01709 363 706, we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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