First Ancient Barrow Rises Out of Ground in Midlands First

Nestled deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside, something is coming that hasn’t been seen in the Midlands’ since ancient times.

A six-foot-high Barrow has risen out of the ground on the outskirts of the village of Calverton, thanks to an iconic idea developed for families in the Midlands and beyond by award-winning funeral business A.W. Lymn. It is the first of three new burial mounds to be completed by Sacred Stones – a specialised design and build company of contemporary barrows – on behalf of the family funeral business.

Located at the brand new Nottinghamshire Memorial Park, the Barrows will be part of a 27-acre site off George’s Lane, and the Midlands’ first ancient barrows site. They will have the capacity to contain more than 800 niches for the ashes of loved ones once open by April 2027.

Managing Director and fifth generation at A.W. Lymn, Matthew Lymn Rose, said: “This is an exciting first for the Midlands and I speak on behalf of all at A.W. Lymn when I say we are proud and excited to see the first Barrow rise out of the ground.

“We can’t wait to welcome the public on site for a preview in October for the first time to witness these majestic structures. A lot of thought and hard work has gone into creating something which will reintroduce ancient traditions into the 21st Century. It is a unique nod to times gone by and we hope the site will create a beautiful, community-inspired way to celebrate a life well lived.”

According to the most recent funeral choice data, an attended cremation is the most popular type of funeral at 53%. 21% of people describe the funeral they organised as a direct cremation – also up 1% on the year before – and so the new Barrows site is being built with this in mind, to offer people making cremation choices a place to commemorate, celebrate and mark the life of their loved one once they have received their ashes.

The Nottinghamshire Memorial Park will be the first ever A.W. Lymn family-owned cemetery and Barrows site. With the open day planned for 10 October 2026, Matthew added he hopes A.W. Lymn can meet a rising demand from families who are choosing cremation.

He said: “Visitors can expect to witness and explore the remarkable man-made burial mounds inside and out. People are increasingly informed about funeral options and feel more confident exploring alternatives. With more families choosing to draw on their own experiences of funerals, both traditional and bespoke, many want a funeral that reflects their values, beliefs and budget, rather than a standard package. We know being bold and re-creating something from ancient times will be a popular choice for many who are looking for a special way to commemorate their loved ones, it is important to look ahead, but also reflect on traditions of the past.”

A.W. Lymn was established in Nottingham in 1907 and has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independent funeral directors, operating 36 funeral homes across the region. Having recently acquired M.A. Mills, Gillotts Funeral Directors and expanded into Leicestershire, it continues to grow its reach and network of talented funeral directors supporting people in their time of utmost need. It provides every funeral option available in the UK, from direct cremation to traditional, large funerals across all religions, faith and non-faith settings.

Those interested in finding our more information about the Barrows can do so by visiting the A.W. Lymn website.