Charing Crematorium commemorates 90 years of service
June 2026 marks the 90th anniversary of Charing Crematorium, the first to serve the communities of Kent.
It opened in June 1936 after overcoming local opposition to its development when West Ashford Council insisted that the building be screened from view.
This was despite the fact that it was widely believed that the building – designed by J L Seaton Dahl – was to be one of the finest in the district.
The multi-faith chapel, with its feature stained-glass window, sits at the heart of the 18-acre site.
The crematorium was constructed by Kent County Crematorium Ltd, a company specially formed for the purpose.
Nobel Prize-winning author George Bernard Shaw was a high-profile supporter of the development, subscribing £2,500 which, in the mid-1930s, was a significant sum of money.
In 1944, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr William Temple, was cremated at Charing Crematorium, a move which helped encourage a wider acceptance of the process of cremation by both the Church of England and the wider public.
Today, Charing Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with facilities in England, Scotland and Wales, trusted by more families than any other provider to deliver funerals for their loved ones.
Charing Crematorium offers tremendous choice when it comes to funerals - an integrated state-of-the-art media system provides an almost infinite music library while a Wyvern organ is also available for those who prefer a more traditional type of service.
Westerleigh Group is proud to commemorate this milestone anniversary and honour the vital role Charing Crematorium has played in supporting bereaved communities locally for over 90 years.
