in memory
Celebrate a life
in memory
Remember a loved one
We are honoured by how much our special landscape means to people. Wittenham Clumps is woven into people’s lives: a place of childhood adventures and den building, frosty mornings and sledging slopes, family walks, and quiet moments to notice nature, where generations have made memories together.
If you have lost someone special, it can be a comfort to celebrate their life in a place that was important to them. By supporting Earth Trust in their memory, you can help care for this much-loved landscape for generations to come.
Our friendly team is here to help if you have any questions or would like to talk through your options.
in memory
Memorial benches
Celebrate the life of your loved one by dedicating a memorial bench in their memory. Your bench will sit in our beautiful landscape offering a place for you and many others to take a moment to pause in nature.
Choose from a range of special locations
Each of our bench locations is thoughtfully chosen to make the most of the stunning views across our beautiful landscape, offering peaceful places to pause and reflect.
You can choose from a range of special settings, including:
- Wittenham Clumps
- Broad Arboretum
- Church Meadow
- Little Wittenham Wood
- Neptune Wood
- North Farm
- Paradise Wood
Handcrafted with a personal dedication
Our benches are handmade by a local craftsman and chosen to complement the surroundings of your chosen location. Your choice of dedication will be engraved on a plaque, serving as a fitting tribute.
For benches placed on the Wittenham Clumps themselves – Castle Hill or Round Hill – we ask for a donation of £5,000.
Benches located in other great areas of this stunning landscape are available for a donation of £3,000.
All benches are offered with a 10 year tenure.
Your donation will help us to care for the beautiful landscape which surrounds your loved one’s bench, and will support Earth Trust’s work, helping to build a better world for future generations in their name.
Get in touch
in memory
Plant a tree
Plant a memorial tree in remembrance of your loved one in the tranquil setting of Little Wittenham Wood. This serene space is accessible to the public all year round so you will always be able to visit your tree, which becomes a living legacy for your loved one.
We offer two ways to dedicate a tree:
£350 – Private planting ceremony
Join us to plant your tree with the guidance of one of our rangers.
£150 – Tree planted on your behalf
We will plant your tree for you and provide location details so you can visit at a time that suits you best.
Questions about memorial trees?
What time of year can I dedicate a tree?
We plant trees during the winter months, when conditions give them the best chance to establish and thrive.
If you are joining us to plant your tree, you will choose from one of our available planting dates between November and January.
If you are dedicating a tree that we are planting on your behalf, you can do this at any time of the year.
When is the next tree planting season?
Our next planting season begins in November 2026.
We have a small number of trees which were planted last winter still available, if you would like to dedicate a tree before this.
How are the trees marked?
Your commemorative tree is a place to remember, to celebrate, and to return to. Every tree is given a unique ID marker, and we will send you a map to help you locate it.
We also offer you the option to tie small biodegradable wooden disks to your tree with a hand-written personal message of your choice.
Little Wittenham Wood is open all year round, so you can visit whenever you wish – through every season, year after year.
Can we organise a planting ceremony?
If you choose a private planting ceremony, you’ll be guided by one of our knowledgeable rangers, who will share insights into the woodland and its wildlife.
Surrounded by family and friends, you’ll plant your tree and place a marker, creating a meaningful moment to remember together.
Can we bury ashes?
If you choose a private planting ceremony, you will be able to bury ashes beneath the roots of your memorial tree.
What species of tree will be planted?
Your commemorative tree will be a hazel, chosen for its importance in supporting biodiversity. Hazel provides vital habitat and food for insects, birds and small mammals, helping this special woodland continue to thrive.
We also use coppiced wood from the hazel to support a variety of work around our landscape, including hedgelaying and our education programmes. This means your comemmorative tree will be a living part of our work, for generations to come.
How will the trees be cared for?
Little Wittenham Wood is one of Europe’s most important sites for wildlife, home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife, including one of Britain’s largest populations of great crested newts, as well as dragonflies, woodland birds and countless invertebrates.
With care from our ranger team, your tree will grow strong and healthy – contributing to this rich ecosystem for years to come. This includes bi-annual health checks, and coppicing after 8 to 10 years, which should allow your tree to live for hundreds of years!
in memory
Donate in memory
Donating to Earth Trust is a perfect way to celebrate the life of someone who was passionate about the natural world or loved our green spaces.
You can make a donation in memory of a loved one by contacting the Fundraising Team via the form below, or use our secure online donation page by clicking the button below.
Please reach out to our team if there is anything we can do to support you.
In memory
Organise a collection
If you would like to organise a funeral collection in memory of a loved one, we are here to help. Your funeral director will also be able to organise an online fundraising page via tribute website MuchLoved and share the details with friends and family.
By choosing to request charity gifts instead of giving flowers at a funeral, your loved one will continue to change the world through the generosity of their friends and family.
Please do get in touch to let us know if you choose to fundraise or have a collection so that we are able to support you and let you know how much money has been given in tribute to your loved one.
Get in touch
