Memorial gardens
For the burial or placing of ashes, we offer a choice of private or communal gardens in different styles and locations within our grounds.
Rated 4.5/5
Wear Valley Crematorium
Wear Valley opened in March 2009 at the bottom of Coundon Village in Bishop Auckland. Eight acres of grounds were laid out with privacy in mind, so there's open space to walk and smaller memorial gardens where a family can be together without anyone else nearby. It's a considered place, and a quiet one.
Seventy-five seats, 20 standing, baby changing, and parking for 52 with two accessible bays. A service can be watched online by anyone who cannot travel. Wear Valley serves Bishop Auckland, Durham, Darlington and Spennymoor. Our funeral directors in Darlington can help you arrange a funeral here.
Reviews for Dignity Group
- Included:Over 200 years of caring for families
- Included:Local service from 558 branches
- Included:Funerals, plans, probate and more
Arranging a funeral at Wear Valley Crematorium
To hold a funeral here, speak to your local Dignity funeral director. They'll book the chapel, settle the paperwork with the crematorium and talk you through the choices at whatever pace suits you.
There's no rush, and no question is too small. You don't need to have anything worked out before you call.
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A chapel for every faith and belief
Ceremonies in our chapel can be arranged entirely around your customs, traditions and preferences. Let your funeral director know what matters to you, and they’ll take care of everything.
Memorials – a lasting tribute to someone special
Ask your funeral director about arranging a memorial at Wear Valley Crematorium.
Plaques or dedications
If you choose to scatter or keep the ashes, a plaque in our memorial grounds or dedication in the Book of Remembrance creates a lasting tribute for loved ones to visit.
Keepsakes and urns
Keep their memory close with a daily reminder of the person they were. From the traditional to the contemporary.
Visiting us
- Coundon, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 8PE
- 01388 722606
Crematorium Office Opening Hours
Monday-Friday: 8am-6pm
Crematorium Grounds Opening Hours
Monday-Sunday: 24/7
Book Of Remembrance Opening Hours
Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm
(Excluding Bank Holidays)
Our funeral directors near Wear Valley Crematorium
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What to expect at a cremation
Attending a ceremony
Each service here has a set length, and it varies from one crematorium to another. Your funeral director will tell you how long you have, let you know when to arrive and where to gather, and keep an eye on the timings on the day so that you don't have to.
The service can include readings, music and time for reflection, led by a minister, celebrant or family member. At the moment of farewell, called the committal, the coffin is lowered or hidden behind a curtain. Some families prefer to leave it in view.
When the service ends, there's usually time to gather outside and speak with other guests. Your funeral director will be there if you have any questions or concerns.
What to wear
Most people wear black or dark clothing but this isn't a rule. Some families ask guests to wear a particular colour or something that meant a lot to the person who has died, like a favourite team's shirt. They may also just want people to wear whatever they're comfortable in. If you've been invited and you're not sure, ask the family.
After the ceremony
The ashes are ready to collect from the crematorium a few days after the cremation. We can also hand-deliver them or scatter them in our memorial grounds for you, whichever you prefer. Some families choose to keep the ashes at home or scatter them somewhere with personal meaning.
A memorial is a lasting place in the world for someone special. Our crematoria offer a range of options, from plaques and benches to planting a tree in the gardens. Memorials can also be arranged after a direct cremation, even if there was no ceremony held at the crematorium itself.
What families say about us
Rated 4.27 / 5 based on 22 reviews.
Rated 3/5
I attended a beautiful service today.
The chapel is a beaiutiful calm space. The staff are respecful.
However, the design of the area as we departed the chapel offers little or no shelter to bereaved families and mourners.
Surely some form of protective shelter would have been of greater benefit.
Fiona Heseltine, 18 February 2026
Rated 1/5
My daughter’s funeral was on Thursday 21st of august at 1.30 pm. When we come in too the crematorium there was a whole group of people standing around the entrance and my daughter hearse had to wait because it was a circus. Which made an emotional day even worse which broke my heart. The members of staff was not doing anything and are making out that my family is lying which I do not appreciate at all thankfully I had an amazing funeral director that stepped in to help with this situation.
Kelsey Robertson, 25 August 2025
Rated 1/5
My sisters funeral was disrupted by this crematorium service there was random people from the funeral before hanging around my sisters hearse. Then to be told that they are apart of our funeral and being told we are lying very unprofessional. Also the web cast was showing the funeral from before our service which confused friends and family causing people to feel uncomfortable
Jay Bradshaw, 25 August 2025
FAQs
We’re here to answer all your questions. If anything isn’t clear, please ask us.
Advice and guidance
Guides on cremation services and what to do with ashes.
Cremation service
What happens at a cremation, the paperwork needed beforehand, how long the service lasts, what shapes the cost, and when the ashes come back to you.
What to do with cremation ashes
Twenty things families have done with ashes – jewellery, tattoos, vinyl records, reefs, fireworks, a planted tree – and the practicalities of each.
Places to scatter ashes in the UK
Nine places families choose to scatter ashes – at home, at sea, on hills, rivers and sports grounds – and the permission each one asks of you first.
Burying ashes
Burying ashes in a cemetery, churchyard, garden of remembrance, woodland ground or your own garden – the permission needed for each, and what it costs.
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