Thornhill Crematorium
Thornhill Road, Cardiff CF14 9UA
Cardiff’s principal crematorium, opened in 1953 and set in 100 acres of cemetery and gardens in the north of the city. Operated by Cardiff Council, with three chapels.
Cardiff · Wales
Basic Cremation in Cardiff
A simple, dignified cremation arranged across Cardiff and South Wales — handled by trusted local funeral directors and Welsh crematoria, never centralised hundreds of miles away.
0333 242 1405Available 24 hours a day, every day of the year
Trusted across the UK
Reviews on Trustpilot
NAFD & SAIF accredited network
24/7 phone support
£1,499 all-inclusive
About our service in Cardiff
A local cremation, arranged with care.
If you’ve lost someone in Cardiff or anywhere across South Wales, we can help you arrange a basic cremation (basig amlosgiad) — also called a direct or unattended cremation. The process happens locally: an independent funeral director near you brings your loved one into care at their own funeral home, and the cremation takes place at a local Welsh crematorium.
Cardiff is served by two principal crematoria. Thornhill Crematorium in north Cardiff is the city’s main facility, opened in 1953 and operated by Cardiff Council. Croesyceiliog Crematorium in Cwmbran covers the eastern South Wales corridor — Newport, Torfaen and Caerphilly. Llwydcoed Crematorium in Aberdare and Coity Crematorium in Bridgend serve the wider South Wales valleys and the western fringe.
The price is £1,499 — a single all-inclusive figure covering everything. The team is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Wales follows the same coroner system as England (the Procurator Fiscal applies only in Scotland), so the registration process is the standard England-and-Wales five-day system.
Pricing in Cardiff
A single price. No hidden extras.
£1,499complete
- Collection from a hospital or coroner's mortuary
- Professional care in a local mortuary
- A suitable coffin
- All paperwork and arrangements
- Cremation at a local Cardiff & South Wales crematorium
- Ashes returned to you, or scattered with care
The £1,499 price covers collection from a hospital or coroner’s mortuary. Collection from a home, care home or hospice in Cardiff or anywhere in Cardiff & South Wales requires a £250 Priority Care collection fee — making the total £1,749. Always explained on the phone before anything happens, never added afterwards.
Local crematoria
The crematoria we use across Cardiff & South Wales
We work with Thornhill, Croesyceiliog, Llwydcoed and Coity — alongside other crematoria across South Wales. Your local funeral director arranges the cremation at the appropriate facility for your area; you’ll know the date and time in advance.
Croesyceiliog Crematorium
Llanfrechfa Way, Cwmbran NP44 8YE
Operated by Torfaen County Borough Council, serving Cwmbran, Newport, Caerphilly, Pontypool and the eastern South Wales valleys.
Llwydcoed Crematorium
Llwydcoed, Aberdare CF44 0DG
Rhondda Cynon Taf crematorium serving the upper Cynon Valley, Merthyr Tydfil and the Heads of the Valleys.
Coity Crematorium
Coychurch, Bridgend CF35 6AB
Serves Bridgend, the Vale of Glamorgan and the western South Wales fringe. Modern facility set in landscaped grounds.
The exact crematorium used depends on the area of Cardiff & South Wales you’re in, and on availability. The local funeral director arranges this directly and tells you the date and time in advance.
Areas covered
Cardiff & South Wales and surrounding areas
We arrange basic cremations across the whole of Cardiff & South Wales. The £1,499 price is the same in every area.
Cardiff city centre
Cathays
Roath
Penylan
Cyncoed
Llanishen
Whitchurch
Llandaff
Pontprennau
Heath
Splott
Adamsdown
Cardiff Bay
Grangetown
Canton
Ely
Fairwater
Llandough
Penarth
Barry
Don’t see your area? We almost certainly cover it — call us on 0333 242 1405 to check.
What to expect
What happens when you call
Five clear steps, taken at your pace, with someone to talk you through every one.
1
You call us
Day or night. Our team listens and gently takes you through what needs to happen.
2
Local Cardiff care
An independent funeral director near you brings your loved one into their care at their own funeral home.
3
Paperwork
We help with all legal paperwork and book the cremation at a local crematorium.
4
Local Cardiff & South Wales cremation
A dignified cremation takes place at one of Cardiff & South Wales's established crematoria.
5
Ashes returned
The ashes can be returned to you for a memorial of your choosing, or scattered with care.
Collection from Cardiff hospitals, care homes and private addresses across South Wales typically happens within hours of your call, day or night. The local funeral director brings your loved one into care at their own funeral home — never into a centralised facility hundreds of miles away.
Registering a death in Cardiff
Cardiff Register Office
- Address
- Cardiff Council Building, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3ND
- Phone
- 029 2087 1690
All deaths that occurred within the City of Cardiff must be registered at Cardiff Register Office in the Council Building at Cathays Park. The office is appointment-only; bookings open once the Medical Examiner or coroner has released the paperwork. Wales follows the same five-day registration rule as England (8 days if a coroner is involved). Cardiff participates in Tell Us Once. The Vale of Glamorgan, Newport, Caerphilly, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil each have their own register offices for deaths in those districts.
Hospital bereavement offices in Cardiff & South Wales
If your loved one died in hospital, the hospital’s bereavement office handles the paperwork that needs to go to the Medical Examiner before the death can be registered. Your funeral director will normally liaise with them on your behalf.
University Hospital of Wales (UHW)
Bereavement Office, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XW. The largest hospital in Wales — call ahead before visiting.
University Hospital Llandough
Bereavement Office, Penlan Road, Llandough CF64 2XX. Open weekdays.
Cardiff and Vale UHB community sites
Smaller community hospital sites coordinate via the central Cardiff & Vale UHB bereavement office.
When the coroner is involved
If the death has been referred to the coroner
Wales follows the same coroner system as England (the Procurator Fiscal applies only in Scotland). If the death is unexpected, sudden or the cause is not yet clear, the Medical Examiner may refer the case to HM Senior Coroner for South Wales Central, which covers Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Around 40% of deaths in England and Wales are referred to a coroner — it’s routine. The coroner reviews the cause and either releases the death for registration or arranges a post-mortem.
If an inquest is opened, the coroner sends the paperwork to the registrar after it concludes. The cremation can proceed once the coroner releases your loved one.
Local support
Bereavement support in Cardiff & South Wales
Grief takes time, and there’s no right way to feel. These local services in Cardiff & South Wales provide free, confidential support — whether you need someone to talk to today or in a few months’ time.
Cruse Bereavement Support — Cymru
Free, confidential bereavement support across Wales — Cymraeg and English.
Visit websiteMarie Curie Hospice Cardiff and the Vale — Bereavement Service
Bereavement counselling open to anyone in Cardiff and the Vale, regardless of whether you used hospice services.
Visit websiteTŷ Hafan Children's Hospice — bereavement
Bereavement support for families across South Wales following the death of a child.
Visit websiteCity Hospice — Bereavement Service
Cardiff-based hospice offering bereavement counselling.
Visit websiteHelp with funeral costs
If you’re worried about the cost
If you’re receiving certain benefits and arranging the funeral, you may qualify for the government’s Funeral Expenses Payment (this scheme covers England and Wales).
Apply through gov.uk or call the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 731 0469. Claims can be made up to six months after the funeral.
Some Welsh local authorities also offer a Public Health Funeral where there’s no family or no funds available — separate council-arranged service. If you’re struggling to cover the £1,499 upfront, call us.
We’re not financial advisors and can’t make benefit applications on your behalf, but the team is happy to talk you through what’s available before you commit to anything.
Frequently asked questions
Cardiff questions, answered
Which crematorium will be used for a Cardiff cremation?
Most Cardiff residents are served by Thornhill in the north of the city. For families in the eastern Valleys (Newport, Cwmbran, Caerphilly), Croesyceiliog is closer; for the Cynon Valley, Llwydcoed; for Bridgend and the Vale, Coity. Your local funeral director picks the appropriate facility.
Do you provide service in Welsh / Cymraeg?
When you call, our team speaks English. We can arrange for a Welsh-speaking local funeral director where you prefer Welsh. Welsh-language paperwork is available from the registrar; the registration appointment can be conducted in Welsh.
Do you cover Newport, Swansea and the Valleys?
Yes — we work with funeral directors across South Wales. Each county borough has its own register office, but the £1,499 price is the same.
How quickly can you collect from UHW or Llandough?
Once the bereavement office and Medical Examiner at UHW or Llandough have released the paperwork, collection is typically within hours, day or night.
Can ashes be scattered on a Welsh beach or in the Brecon Beacons?
Yes. Ashes scattering is permitted on most Welsh beaches and on private/National Park land with permission. We return the ashes to you and you choose what to do.
Read more
Useful guides
If you’d like to read more about how a basic cremation works, what your price covers, or what to do in the days after someone has died, these guides are written in plain English.
What is a basic cremation?
How it works, why families choose it, and how it differs from a traditional funeral.
Read more →
What’s included
Every item your £1,499 price covers — and what it doesn’t.
Read more →
Prices
The full price, Priority Care collection fee, and help with funeral costs.
Read more →
When someone dies
The practical first steps in the first 24 to 72 hours, depending on where the death took place.
Read the guide →
Help & advice
Registering a death, when the coroner is involved, and other practical guides.
All guides →
Common questions
The questions families most often ask before arranging a basic cremation.
FAQs →
Other locations
We also cover the wider South Wales region
The same simple, dignified £1,499 basic cremation is available across the wider region. If your loved one died outside Cardiff itself, the appropriate local funeral director and crematorium will be used.
Basic Cremation in Swansea
Swansea & South West Wales
Basic Cremation in Newport
Newport & South East Wales
Basic Cremation in Bristol
Bristol & the West
Basic Cremation in Bath
Somerset
Basic Cremation in Gloucester
Gloucestershire
Basic Cremation in Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
Basic Cremation in Exeter
Devon
Basic Cremation in Plymouth
Devon
Don’t see your area? We cover the wider UK — view all locations or call us on 0333 242 1405.
Speak to us about a cremation in Cardiff
There's always someone available to talk you through what needs to happen. Calls are answered day and night, every day of the year.
0333 242 1405Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week