A funeral director who stays involved
One of our funeral directors guides the arrangements, coordinates the practical work and is there on the day of the funeral.
Independent funeral directors in London
Thoughtful funerals across London
Traditional, modern, simple and more unusual funerals, arranged with care from the first call to the funeral itself.
We’ll explain the choices, be clear about costs and take care of the details. Poetic Endings is a small, independent, female-led funeral director based in Forest Hill and working across London.
Telephone line answered 24 hours
020 4525 8318
Send us a message
You can call with a practical question even if you have not decided whether to appoint us.
What people say about being looked after by Poetic Endings
Read Google reviews
Again and again, people describe feeling in safe hands: calm guidance, careful attention to detail, creative thinking and the relief of knowing the practical arrangements are under control.
Where to begin
How can we help?
The first thing you need may be practical information, a clear idea of costs, or simply somebody to explain what happens next.
Why choose Poetic Endings?
The things that matter when choosing a funeral director
You are trusting a funeral director with a person you care about and with a great deal of practical responsibility. These are some of the things we think you should be able to expect.
Clear prices before you decide
Our prices are published online. We explain third-party fees and provide a written estimate so you can understand the likely total before proceeding.
Care in our own funeral home
The person who has died is cared for at our Forest Hill funeral home, with purpose-built mortuary facilities and a private chapel of rest.
More than one kind of funeral
We arrange cremations, burials, church funerals, natural burials and ceremonies in less conventional venues. We’ll explain the options without pushing you towards a particular style.
Funeral services & costs
Three starting points
These are our main funeral services. The price information below is there to give you a useful starting point before you contact us.
A funeral built around your choices
For funerals in crematoria, churches, cemeteries, natural burial grounds and alternative venues, with the time and flexibility to shape the arrangements.
£2,600
Our funeral director’s fee. Coffin, cremation or burial, transport and other choices are additional.
Explore Tailored Funerals
An attended crematorium funeral, kept simpler
A morning crematorium funeral in South East London, with space for music, words and a proper goodbye, but fewer arrangements around it.
From £2,800
Includes our £1,950 fee and the Beckenham morning crematorium fee. Coffin and optional extras are additional.
Explore Simple Morning Funerals
A cremation without an attended ceremony
We care for the person who has died at our Forest Hill funeral home and arrange the cremation without anyone attending at the crematorium.
£1,975
Includes the cremation and a simple coffin. Some collection circumstances carry an additional charge.
Explore Direct Cremation
See what a funeral can be
People often tell us they do not know what they want because they have never seen many funerals done differently. Real examples can make the possibilities much easier to imagine.
Natural burial
Michelle’s funeral
Snow at Clandon Wood, a white willow coffin, a horse-drawn carriage and details Michelle had chosen herself.
Read Michelle’s story
Alternative funeral venue
A funeral somewhere different
The ceremony can take place in a museum, gallery, historic building or another suitable venue, with burial or cremation arranged separately.
Explore funeral venues
Planning a funeral in London
Find the practical information you need
We have built detailed London directories and guides so you can compare places and people before deciding what feels right.
Has someone died in a London hospital or hospice?
Our practical guides explain bereavement contacts, Medical Examiner arrangements, registration and what happens when a funeral director becomes involved at individual London hospitals and hospices.
Why the reviews matter
People describe more than good service
What stands out in the Google reviews is how often people describe the feeling of the experience: being able to hand over the practical burden, feeling safe, being listened to and ending up with a funeral that felt completely their own.
“Our experience with Louise and her team at Poetic Endings was faultless.”
Google review
“On the day organisation was impeccable.”
Google review
“We managed to have the quiet, unintruded day we wanted.”
Google review
“She was so calm and took control so we didn't have to worry about small details.”
Google review
The same themes come up again and again
People talk about feeling in safe hands, communication that is clear and responsive, unusual requests being made possible, calm organisation on the day and a funeral that actually reflected the person who had died. That consistency matters more to us than any single testimonial.
Our funeral home
Come and meet us in Forest Hill
Our funeral home is where we make arrangements, care for people who have died and welcome private visits in our chapel of rest.
Behind the scenes are our purpose-built mortuary facilities. We believe you should be able to know where the person who has died is being cared for and who is looking after them.
37 Davids Road · Forest Hill · London SE23 3EP
Visits by appointment
Independent by design
Experienced, recognised and still personal
Poetic Endings was founded by funeral director and author Louise Winter. Louise was formerly editor of the Good Funeral Guide and is the co-author of We All Know How This Ends.
We are a small team rather than a national chain. That allows us to stay close to the arrangements while drawing on a trusted network of celebrants, florists, venues and other funeral professionals across London.
Read our storyIndependently recommended
Recommended by the Good Funeral Guide and the Natural Death Centre.
Professional memberships
Members of SAIF and the Association of Green Funeral Directors.
Inclusive funeral care
We are female-led and LGBTQIA+ inclusive, and work with different beliefs, relationships, identities and ways of doing things.
Public conversation
Louise’s work has featured on BBC Radio 4, BBC News and BBC London, as well as in national press and at TEDx.
Start with a conversation
You do not need to know what kind of funeral you want
Tell us what has happened or what you are thinking about. We’ll explain what needs to happen next, answer your questions and talk through the options without expecting you to have everything decided.
Our telephone line is answered 24 hours a day. Meetings at our Forest Hill funeral home are by appointment.