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John Kemp Funeral Directors

Whitstable

About our Whitstable funeral home

John Kemp Funeral Directors in Whitstable is here to serve you, as we have served local families on this stretch of the Kentish coast for more than a century. We will offer you support at this difficult time, arranging your loved one's funeral to meet your specific needs.

When you need to share your burden, the team at our Whitstable funeral home will be here to offer a comforting word and help ease some of the emotional pressure you may be under. Using our expertise and decades of experience in funeral arrangement, we will ensure your loved one's send off is a dignified occasion, tailored to the way you want it.

Established in 1900, we have long been a source of compassionate funeral care for the local community, having served many of the same families down the generations. You can be certain that our local knowledge, coupled with our professionalism, will mean the funeral we arrange is a fitting final goodbye to your loved one.

Our Whitstable funeral directors is located on Harbour Street, near to the seafront and a few doors down from the Tudor Restaurant and Tearooms. As well as those in the local vicinity, we also provide funeral services to the surrounding towns and villages, including Chestfield, Seasalter and Boughton-under-Blean.

Available 24 hours, you can speak to one of our caring team about your funeral needs by calling 01227 272255 today.

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

To arrange a funeral for your loved one, please call our funeral home on 01227 272255 today.

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Funeral Services with distinction

We are proud to be part of Dignity Funerals, a collection of the UKs 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.
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Our 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.

A tailored funeral

The Attended Funeral

Our Attended Funeral includes care of your loved one, a Park Coffin, a service at the place of committal which can be personalised as required for your loved one, followed by a burial or cremation.

  • Attended Funeral £2495
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • Plus estimated third party costs for cost of cremation and attendance of a celebrant or minister£1484
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£3979
The estimated costs shown are for cremation only. Please call us if you would like to discuss a burial.
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The Unattended Funeral

Our Unattended Funeral will best suit your needs if you want to arrange a simple and straightforward cremation without a service or ceremony, allowing you and your loved one's friends and family to commemorate them in your own way.

  • Unattended Funeral £1395
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • (Includes cost of cremation)£-
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£1395
The estimated costs shown are for an unattended cremation. Please call us if you would like to discuss a burial.
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Memorials

Choose from a variety of options, including headstones and urns to memorial plaques, vases, statues, jewellery and plenty more. With a Memorial, you can create a tribute that especially reflects the life, love and cherished memories of your loved one.

Where to find us

Contact

Speak to our team 24 hours a day on 01227 272255

Our Address

26 Harbour Street, Whitstable, CT5 1AH

Get Directions

Funeral home opening times

  • Monday0900 - 1700
  • Tuesday0900 - 1700
  • Wednesday0900 - 1700
  • Thursday0900 - 1700
  • Friday0900 - 1700
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed

Directions and parking

Parking is available in the yard in Albert Street. The nearest public car park is in Victoria Street.

01227 272255
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Supporting you along the way

We understand that there is a lot to think about, so if you do need assistance with your loved one's funeral arrangements, our funeral experts will offer you all the support you need.

What to do when someone dies

What to do when someone dies

It’s perfectly normal to be unsure of what you need to do following the death of a loved one. These step-by-step guides will carefully explain everything you need to when someone dies, helping you through each stage of the process.

Planning a funeral

Planning a funeral

Our guides on planning a funeral will ensure your loved one's send off is a personal and unique celebration of their life. We will explain how our Funeral Directors will help you plan a funeral service and support you at every stage.

The day of the funeral

The day of the funeral

This guide will explain what happens at a funeral; including the funeral procession, funeral service, committal service and the wake. We will be here to help you through every step of the journey.

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.

We are a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors and as such we abide by The Funeral Director Code. We also have a legal obligation to try and ensure the person who is arranging a funeral has the right to do so, or has permission from those who do.

If you are aware that someone has been appointed as the administrator, you should only arrange the funeral with this person's agreement.

If there is no Will or Letters of Administration, then the responsibility would pass to the next of kin.

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, urns and benches to remembrance trees, plaques and vases. 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}}

From 9 September 2024, there will no longer be a doctor's fee in England and Wales when arranging a funeral. This is because from this date, all deaths in England and Wales will be independently viewed, either by a relevant coroner or by a Medical Examiner and the cost will be met by the NHS.

A Medical Examiner is a specifically trained independent senior doctor who will scrutinise all deaths across a local area that do not fall under the coroner's jurisdiction. By providing a greater level of scrutiny over the cause of deaths; it is hoped that the introduction of Medical Examiners will make it less likely that unnatural causes of death will go unnoticed; that the number of deaths unnecessarily referred to the coroner will be reduced and that national data about causes of death will be captured with greater accuracy.

Medical Examiners, or Medical Examiner Officers, will also be available to meet with families, or their representatives, if they wish to discuss the cause of death.

Our reviews

4.95
based on 21 reviews
Teresa Robinson
29th Apr 2025

Kind caring service and very professional every detail was covered .

Stephen
26th Mar 2025

Can't thank you all enough for your kindness support and professionalism thank you again

Mrs Ann H.
22nd Apr 2023

John Kemp Funeral Directors in Whitstable provided a first class service when dealing with my late mother's funeral. My contact throughout, Hilary, was totally supportive and efficient, helping me in particular with the preparation of the Order of Service. The Celebrant, Kevin, was excellent and also supportive and professional. Finally, the Director on the Day, Ellie, who was also one of the pair who collected my mother's body from the house on the evening of her death, was caring and in control. Everything was managed with professionalism, respect and care. I cannot fault the service provided and will recommend this company highly. I also found the Dignity website well laid out and very helpful.

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John Kemp Funeral Directors
24th Apr 2023

I am glad you chose John Kemp Funeral Directors to take care of your loved one and it is good to know that we managed to make the day run as smoothly as possible for you.

Mrs Susan D.
26th Oct 2022

The whole process was handled professionally. We particularly appreciated the exceptional customer service and attention to detail from Brenda, the Funeral Director

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John Kemp Funeral Directors
26th Oct 2022

I am happy that we provided a professional service to you. It is always good to hear that individual members of our team have provided a service to you to the best of their ability.

Mrs Sarah P.
7th Sep 2022

John Kemp Funeral Directors in Whitstable were so friendly and professional. As a family we have used them before and we received the same caring service from them on this recent occasion.

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John Kemp Funeral Directors
8th Sep 2022

Thank you for this positive recommendation, it is greatly appreciated., ee are very proud of our team and the care they give and it means the world when we hear from the families that we have looked after.

Calls are recorded for monitoring and quality purposes. All calls made to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free of charge whether made from a landline or mobile phone. Dignity Funerals Limited is a company registered in England No. 00041598. VAT registered No. 486 6081 14. Registered office: 4 King Edwards Court, King Edwards Square, Sutton Coldfield B73 6AP. Dignity Funerals Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 967130. Please note that the selling and administering of funeral plans is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however if you are purchasing a funeral without a funeral plan this will not be covered by FCA regulation.