The earliest evidence for the use of wooden coffins dates to 5000 BC and was found in the Tomb 4 at Beishouling, Shaanxi. There have been many designs and styles of coffin over the centuries but by far the most common styles in the UK are the tapered six sided box (also considered to be anthropoidal in shape) which is referred to as a “coffin”, and the square sided, rectangular box referred to as a “casket”. The now universal “coffin” design, built to be wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet, was designed originally to save money on wood.

With the growing resurgence of cremation in the western world many coffins are now made of thinner and lighter materials such as particle board or low density fibre board in order to minimise the carbon footprint and use of natural resources. It has also become standard practice to use these lighter coffins for burials unless a solid wood coffin or casket is specifically desired. Another growing move is to personalise the coffin to the deceased’s lifestyle and personality, for example painting a coffin in a favourite team’s colours or draping the coffin in a themed flag.

There is emerging interest in eco-friendly coffins made of purely natural materials such as bamboo, willow or banana leaf and it is becoming increasingly popular to use cardboard coffins. We offer a large range of natural and cardboard coffins which you can see on our Green Funerals page.

Please note that our standard price includes a beautiful wood veneer coffin, The Tutbury, at no extra cost.

Wood Effect Coffins

Our Wood Effect Coffins offer the aesthetics of a high-quality wood finish but without the price. They also require less raw material to produce and release far less CO2 than solid wood coffins, so they are better for the environment.

The Tutbury
£320
The Carsington
£356
Wood Veneer Coffins

Very similar to our Wood Effect Coffins these offer a high quality gloss veneer finish that is practically indistinguishable from polished wood. We offer a large range of Veneer Coffins so please click below to see our full range and find a coffin that you feel is perfectly suited for the occasion.

The York
£371
The Kedlestone
£396
The Ashbourne
£457
The Repton
£400
Solid Wood Coffins

These are high quality, hard wood coffins offering robust construction with premium aesthetics. If a solid wood coffin is important to you then these offer an excellent choice at a reasonable price. However, if solid wood is not a factor then please consider the environmental impact and choose a Wood Effect or Veneer Coffin. This will also reduce the cost of the funeral considerably.

The Sherwood
£567
The Derby
£710
The Ascot
£725
The Chesterfield
£765
Caskets

The word casket was originally coined to describe an ornamental box used to hold jewellery or other precious items. Based on a much older design tradition a polished casket offers a very formal and stately feel as it is carried into the church or chapel. The Casket design does offer a more distinct aesthetic because it is selected for only a small percentage of funerals these days.

The Atherton
£470 (Wood Veneer Casket)
The Ashbourne Casket
£499 (Wood Veneer Casket)
The Windsor
£795 (Solid Wood Casket)
The Westminster
£895 (Solid Wood Casket)
Baby and Infant

Our collection of baby and infant coffins and caskets are available in a range of different sizes and colours. While there is nothing we can do to alleviate the pain of losing a young life, each coffin is carefully lined for a soft and comfortable final sleep.

Child’s Coffin Baby Pink
Included Free
Child’s Casket Baby Blue
Included Free
Child’s Coffin Oak Veneer
Included Free
Child’s Casket White
Included Free
Last Supper Collection

Depicting Biblical and religious themes these coffins are best suited for religious and especially catholic funerals. Each scene is artfully countersunk into the body of the coffin presenting a beautiful and polished wood-effect finish.

The Last Supper
£528
The Crown of Thorns
£528
The Lourdes Scene
£528
The Foot of the Cross
£555
Natural Coffins

For those who want to combine a natural beauty with an eco-friendly funeral we offer a range of Natural Coffins. Bamboo, Banana and Willow coffins are especially suitable for environmentally friendly burial and our simple but beautiful cardboard coffins are the best eco-solution for both burial and cremation. Click below to see our full range of coffins for green funerals.

Bamboo
Banana
Willow
Decorated Cardboard

Testimonials

Nathan, Jeremy and the Penrose Team,

​My wife, myself and our family would like to say a heartfelt thank you for the wonderful service we received from Penrose. We could not have asked for kinder or more helpful people and certainly everyone who attended David’s funeral gave high praise indeed to the whole event.​

I cannot recommend Penrose highly enough on the amazing service provided and wish you all the very best in the future.

Steve and Brenda Bester - December 2017
Good Morning Brendon

I wanted to send you a message to thank you for professional and efficient celebration of my late mum.
Thank you so much you made a hard day a little easier for all my family.
Kindest regards
Sharon Bowtell and family - April 2021

To Jeremy and Nathan,

Thank you so much for making what was a very difficult time for us as a family a very beautify send off for our beloved Annie. Thank you also for the children’s keepsake necklaces, they are lovely and will be cherished forever.

Very best wishes

Gary, Rafe, Hattie, Dixie, Philippa and all of Annie’s family - March 2023

To all the staff at Penrose Funerals

Thank you for the compassion, care and support you gave to our family. We really appreciate everything you did for the funeral of David Ray.

Your kindness is appreciated so much

Kind Regards

Kevin and Lorna Russell - July 2022

Thank you so much for making Brian’s funeral so special, he would have loved it. I cannot thank you enough for all your care and compassion through a very difficult time.

Janet C - Sept 2016

To Nathan, Jeremy and everyone at Penrose, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful send off you gave Elaine, your respect and attention to detail was second to none. Thanks to each and every one of you.

Luv from All of Elaine’s friends and family xx

- March 2017
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