Work starts on new funeral home

Building work is set to start on a brand-new funeral home in Horncastle, thanks to £1.2m worth of investment by Lincolnshire Co-op. The new facility will provide improved facilities for clients and colleagues in the town and from the surrounding area.

Once the project is complete in autumn 2025, Horncastle Funeral Home will relocate from Horncastle’s Market Place to the former Travis Perkins building merchants building on Bridge Street, just a short distance away (see pictured of both buildings above).

The new funeral home will be more accessible for visitors as it will all be on one level and will also have a dedicated 13-space car park with disabled parking spaces. An inviting reception area will lead to a wealth of facilities, including a Chapel of Rest and private spaces for families to use for reflection.

Colleagues who make up the eight-strong funeral home team will also benefit from an improved layout and more facilities, including a dedicated arrangement office.

The design of the new facility, which has been developed by Framework Architects, pays reference to the building’s heritage with a restored frontage. The building’s main entrance facing onto Bridge Street will be reinstated and a large Georgian-style window will replace the current glazing.

The conversion programme includes work to the roof, restoration of all the windows and extensive work to the building’s interior. It is being undertaken by contractors Topcon Building, based in Grimsby.

Horncastle Funeral Director Carla Kennedy said the team were looking forward to moving to the new facility later this year.

“We’re all excited to see the work progress on the new funeral home as we know the new facility will help us provide the high standard of care we pride ourselves on giving to our clients,” she said.

“We’re part of the local community in Horncastle, and we’re looking forward to seeing the old building brought back into use and restored as it’s in a prominent location in Bridge Street.”

Horncastle Funeral Home is one of Lincolnshire Co-op’s 21 funeral branches. The move will mean that the facility will be able to support more people locally.

Funeral Operations Support Manager Matt Golding said: “We have a duty to provide comfort and care to our clients during some of the most difficult moments they will face in their lives.

“The relocation of our Horncastle Funeral Home has been a project we have been working on for some time to ensure we deliver a space which enables us to carry out that duty, and is modern, welcoming, and designed to meet their needs.”

A historic picture of the Bridge Street building, which is from Horncastle History & Heritage Society’s Town Archive. Credit: Horncastle History & Heritage Society’s Town Archive.