Richards Funeral Directors, Witham

Richards Funeral Directors are here to support you if a loved one has just passed away and you need help arranging the funeral. We offer a range of funerals to suit your needs. You can find out more below or give us a call to discuss.
BASED ON 41 reviews
Rating 4.9

About our Witham funeral home

Here at Richards Funeral Directors, we have been helping the families of Witham arrange unique and dignified funerals since 1842. Our many years of experience enables us to help you and your family through this difficult time.

Our funeral directors on Newland Street are kind and compassionate, and here to ease any concerns you may have.

You and your family are our priority, and we will do everything we can to help you make the day of your loved one’s funeral special.

Call us at any time and we will be there for you.

What we offer

  • Advice and guidance at every step, including registering the death
  • Arrangements that are tailored to meet your family's needs
  • Local expertise and knowledge
  • Cremation or burial at any local crematorium or burial site
  • Funeral services of all faiths and cultures
  • Viewing of the deceased in the chapel of rest
  • Hearses, funeral vehicles and bespoke transport options
  • Memorials and tributes
  • Prepaid funeral plans
Dignity with distinction image
Dignity with distinction image

Funeral Services with distinction

We are proud to be part of Dignity Funerals, a collection of the UK's finest funeral directors, with each and every one committed to setting superior standards.

Many Dignity funeral directors have been part of the local community for generations and it is a privilege to serve those who live beside us. Our rich and lengthy heritage ensures we can deliver our service with local knowledge and unparalleled expertise.
99.0%
99 per cent of families said that Dignity met or exceeded their expectations.
97.7%
97.7 per cent of people said that they would recommend Dignity.

Our funeral services

With two packages available, we will be able to arrange the funeral you have in mind for your loved one.

If you’re looking for a traditional or contemporary funeral with a service, you should consider our Attended Funeral. If you want us to arrange a simple cremation without mourners present, our Unattended Funeral may better suit your needs.

View our Standardised Price List, Additional Options Price List and Crematoria Price List.
  • The Unattended Funeral

    We will help you arrange a simple funeral consisting of a direct cremation without mourners present.
    Our Unattended Funeral allows friends and family to commemorate your loved one in their own way. Our expert funeral directors will provide all necessary care, while offering advice and support every step of the way. A cremation will then be carried out without mourners present, overseen by one of our qualified attendants.
    Find out more
    From
    £1395
    plus £- (Includes cost of cremation).
    plus £- (Includes cost of cremation).
    Funeral Service Image

    The Unattended Funeral

    We will help you arrange a simple funeral consisting of a direct cremation without mourners present.
    From
    £1395
    plus £- (Includes cost of cremation).
    plus £- (Includes cost of cremation).
    Our Unattended Funeral allows friends and family to commemorate your loved one in their own way. Our expert funeral directors will provide all necessary care, while offering advice and support every step of the way. A cremation will then be carried out without mourners present, overseen by one of our qualified attendants.
    Funeral Service Image
    Find Out More
  • The Attended Funeral

    A fully personalised funeral arranged and conducted by our expert teams in accordance with your exact wishes.
    Our expert team will take care of your loved one with the utmost dignity and respect, while we help arrange a personalised funeral with any additional services you wish.
    Find out more
    From
    £2395
    plus £1433 estimated third party costs for cost of cremation with doctor's fees and attendance of a celebrant or minister.
    plus £1433 estimated third party costs for cost of cremation with doctor's fees and attendance of a celebrant or minister.
    Funeral Service Image

    The Attended Funeral

    A fully personalised funeral arranged and conducted by our expert teams in accordance with your exact wishes.
    From
    £2395
    plus £1433 estimated third party costs for cost of cremation with doctor's fees and attendance of a celebrant or minister.
    plus £1433 estimated third party costs for cost of cremation with doctor's fees and attendance of a celebrant or minister.
    Our expert team will take care of your loved one with the utmost dignity and respect, while we help arrange a personalised funeral with any additional services you wish.
    Funeral Service Image
    Find Out More

Where to find us

Address

78 Newland Street
Witham CM8 1AH
GB

Directions and Parking

We are on Newland high street, between Maggie's salon and McColl's newsagents.

There is parking available at our funeral home.

Funeral Home Opening Times

Outside of normal hours, visits can be made by appointment only.
Day of the WeekHours
Monday09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday09:00 - 17:00
Thursday09:00 - 17:00
Friday09:00 - 17:00
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

24 Hour Availability

Outside of our funeral home’s opening times, we are available 24 hours a day by phone.
Call 24 hours on 01376 513114

Frequently asked questions

  • When someone dies, the first steps will depend on how and where the person passed away. Our step-by-step guides will walk you through the practical steps. For additional support and personal advice, please get in touch with us.


  • You don't have to make an appointment at our funeral homes. However, doing so will ensure that someone can be available to cater to your needs. When arranging a funeral, our Funeral Directors are happy to visit you in your own home, if required.


  • Third party funeral costs are additional charges which we will manage for you and attach to your single invoice. Get in touch with us to confirm costs and plan a funeral to fit your budget.


  • If you choose to arrange the funeral with us, you will be given the option of a complimentary Funeral Notice. We will set it up for you using the details discussed during the arrangements. All we need is an email address.


  • Dignity Funeral Plans let you pay for your funeral in advance and at today's price. It's a way of taking control of the unexpected, setting out the arrangements and limiting the costs by paying for the services included in the funeral plan upfront.


  • A Memorial is a way of creating a lasting memory to help remember a loved one.


  • Dignity has been established for over 200 years and is one of the UK's leading providers of Funerals and with an 'Excellent' Trustpilot rating (02/24). We are proud to help our customers every year with a diverse range of Memorial products and services to help remember their loved ones.


  • We offer a wide range of products – from traditional headstones, kerb sets and benches to remembrance trees, plaques, vases and urns. We also offer more personal and modern options such as jewellery, pin badges and photo related memorial products. As well as completely customised items.

    To organise your Memorial contact us on {{BRANCH_PHONE}}


Reviews of our services

4.9
Rating 4.9
based on 41 reviews
Rating 5.0
Right from the initial contact, Richards Funeral Directors were professional and approachable . Bonnie and the team gave us support, helpful information and advice . Nothing was too much trouble and all delivered with dignity and care. It was such a difficult time for me and I am most grateful for the service you have provided. On the day of the funeral, the staff were impeccable and I was particularly impressed by Cheryl who guided us through the service. Thank you again .
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us on your online review. I am pleased we were able to help make things easier for you at such a difficult time. Your kind words mean a great deal to the team who always work very hard to deliver great care.
Rating 5.0
The staff at Richards were all caring, compassionate and supportive. Their trust and expertise helped to guide me through the most difficult of times, knowing that they had everything in hand.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
I am happy that we were able to provide you with the knowledge and understanding of a difficult situation and make things easier for you. We are incredibly grateful that you took the time to leave us this review.
Rating 5.0
Deborah, Cheryl and all the team at Richards were so incredibly helpful at a very difficult time, helping us to arrange mum’s funeral. They took their time to explain the services they can provide. Nothing was too much trouble. I really appreciated the calls beforehand to talk us through the service arrangements. Thank you so much for all the support.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
We really appreciate you leaving feedback online for the branch and thank you for highlighting members of our team that have made a difference to your experience. It's good to hear that we gave support and guidance to you.
Rating 5.0
Everything was handled very professionally with due care and consideration at all times. The funeral was as perfect as you could hope for and we would like to thank all the staff especially Cheryl, who was involved from the start with her calm and reassuring manner which helped us to get through this difficult period.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
I am glad that our staff went above and beyond to deliver the service you expected. Thank you for this positive recommendation, it is greatly appreciated.
Rating 5.0
From the very start very helpful and in contact all the time.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for this positive recommendation,
Rating 5.0
Thank you Richards Funeral Directors of Witham for organising the funeral of my Aunt, using the Age UK scheme she bought 20 years ago. Everything was dealt with efficiently and tactfully. An excellent service.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for your 5 star review
Rating 5.0
All staff were kind, sympathetic, professional and compassionate throughout the process of organising the funeral. Including the day of the funeral and even after.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Our whole team are here to give you the utmost compassion and support to each and every client and I am glad they did this for you. Your feedback is valued.
Rating 5.0
Richards funeral directors were amazing talked us through everything with the family were very respectful towards Mum and the family first class at there profession and a credit to Dignity funerals .i would rate them a thousand stars if I could . I would not hesitate to recommend to friends and family ,level of service was extremely to the very highest of standards with both care and compassion towards the bereaved family and the deceased .
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Our whole team are here to give you the utmost compassion and support to each and every client and I am glad they did this for you. It has been a privilege to support your family and care for your Mother. We are proud of the whole team. Thank you for this positive recommendation, it is greatly appreciated.
Rating 5.0
Staff was always available to help and nothing was to much. They were compassionate and understanding. I could not of asked for a better service and would highly recommend their services.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
I am glad that our staff went above and beyond to deliver the service you expected. Thank you for this positive recommendation, it is greatly appreciated.
Rating 5.0
We were dealt with mainly by Cheryl who was very professional. She was thoughtful and understanding. I cannot recommend her more highly. I would recommend Richards funerals to anybody. It all went very smoothly. Thank you all very much.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience online with us. It helps other families in their time of need. It means a great deal when people take the time to share their experience and to highlight individuals in the team who have made a difference. Our quality of care is something we are proud of and we know what a difference it makes to the families in their time of need.
Rating 5.0
Kind considerate and professional advice
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
I am happy that we provided a professional service to you.
Rating 5.0
Through such an emotional journey the Staff (Debbie in particular) were absolutely professional, respectful & courteous & so very helpful throughout.
A lot of stresses making plans were quickly resolved with the help of the service & compassion offered.
Nothing was too much trouble. We received courtesy calls throughout and help with any questions we had during the time making arrangements while Richards engaged with other third parties (florist etc) on our behalf allowing us to have some personal time very much needed
Thank you all so very much for supporting our family and for making our loved one comfortable during there stay with you.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for leaving a review online for Richards Funeral Directors. . I am glad that our team were there to guide you through the arrangements for your loved one at such a difficult time. It’s so good to hear that we gave outstanding support from the branch.
Rating 5.0
Richards provided nothing less than a empathetic and outstanding service to myself and my family.
They were extremely professional through-out the whole process and went above and beyond to cater for our needs through the saddest days of our lives.
Thank you to Debbie, Cheryl and the team for being so wonderful. You truly will be in our hearts forever and gave our father/ husband a send off to remember.
Thank you again.
The Revetts
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
We really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and being open with us about the service we provided. We know how special each person is and aim to convey this in all aspects of our work from the arrangements to the day of the service. It means a great deal when people take the time to share their experience and to highlight individuals in the team who have made a difference.
Rating 5.0
The staff team both (D and S) were very helpful and respectful, talking us through the process and at the end of the phone when we needed to ask random questions.

The funeral itself went well, everything as we had asked for.

The keepsake box given to us at the end of the service was a nice touch as were the follow up calls to check everything had been as we had hoped for.

We used the same Funeral Director for my Dad twenty years ago and the service is as good now as it was then. Thank you both so much, our family would thoroughly recommend your service.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for sharing your sentiments with us regarding your experience. I am pleased to hear the team looked after you and the family well. Your feedback is always valuable to us.
Rating 5.0
All of the staff were extremely personable, professional and very understanding and dealt with every query sensitively for us. They were very accommodating and responsive with our queries and really ensured a difficult time went as seamless as possible, which also helped to relieve any stresses and emotional times.

Thanks in particular to Debbie and Cheryl at the Witham branch, we really appreciate your help and support in making sure Dads funeral went to plan.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
I am pleased to hear that you found our staff to be professional and understanding and I am glad that the team looked after you and the family well during this difficult time. Thank you.
Rating 5.0
The whole service from beginning to end was excellent, caring and considerate. From the day they were first involved Richards Funeral director talked to us at every step of the way and made sure our wants were adhered to. The planning for the day was clear,concise and well organised and when help was required it was always there. Come the day of the funeral and serivce Cheryl and the team were excellent carrying every request like a well oiled machine but always remembering to treat our families with respect.
We would thoroughly recommend their services.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
I am pleased to hear that our team were so kind and caring to your family. Thank you for taking the time to send us your online review. Your feedback is always valuable to us.
Rating 5.0
The death of our mother was no surprise, as she had not been well for some time. It was a comfort that she has paid for a funeral plan in advance through Age Concern. This made dealing with the Funeral Directors, and Debbie(I think/hope),so much easier. Everyone at Richards was most helpful and understanding. We cannot fault all concerned for the attention paid for facilitating a dignified funeral process. The Chapel Service at the cemetery offered something of a challenge, given the seating arrangements and the available space to manoeuvre the coffin, but this well met by Cheryl and her team. The coffin was taken for interment in the usual way. A big thank you for making this day an uneventful event!
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for your 5 star review. I am sorry to note that there were some challenges but I am glad that these were addressed for you. If you would like to discuss this further please contact our Client Relations Team on 0800 783 7171, they are available Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm.
Rating 5.0
This has been such and emotional time for my family and we werent sure how we were going to deal with planning a funeral but Cheryl and the team were fantastic, taking their time to assure us of every step taken and that the care of our loved o e was their top priority, we cannot thank RJ hard enough.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
We understand how important it is to keep families informed and I'm pleased that our team did exactly that for you. Thank you for sharing your experience with us on your online review.
Rating 5.0
From the first meeting the staff I dealt with were very polite, caring and professional but were also prepared to show a sense of humour, which can be very helpful at a time like this.
All I can say is that I would recommend these people to anyone
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for sharing your views with us on your online review. I am pleased the team looked after you so well.
Rating 5.0
Richards Funeral Directors dealt with my father’s funeral. I found them easy, sympathetic and professional to deal with. The day itself passed off without any issues and others that attended said what a lovely ‘Send off’ it was.
Response from Richards Funeral Directors
Thank you for leaving a review online. It is comforting to know that the team were there to support you through this time and relieve some of the pressure through guidance and support.
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