The earliest evidence for the use of wooden coffins dates to 5000 BC and was found in the Tomb 4 at Beishouling, Shaanxi. There have been many designs and styles of coffin over the centuries but by far the most common styles in the UK are the tapered six sided box (also considered to be anthropoidal in shape) which is referred to as a “coffin”, and the square sided, rectangular box referred to as a “casket”. The now universal “coffin” design, built to be wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet, was designed originally to save money on wood.

With the growing resurgence of cremation in the western world many coffins are now made of thinner and lighter materials such as particle board or low density fibre board in order to minimise the carbon footprint and use of natural resources. It has also become standard practice to use these lighter coffins for burials unless a solid wood coffin or casket is specifically desired. Another growing move is to personalise the coffin to the deceased’s lifestyle and personality, for example painting a coffin in a favourite team’s colours or draping the coffin in a themed flag.

There is emerging interest in eco-friendly coffins made of purely natural materials such as bamboo, willow or banana leaf and it is becoming increasingly popular to use cardboard coffins. We offer a large range of natural and cardboard coffins which you can see on our Green Funerals page.

Please note that our standard price includes a beautiful wood veneer coffin, The Tutbury, at no extra cost.

Wood Effect Coffins

Our Wood Effect Coffins offer the aesthetics of a high-quality wood finish but without the price. They also require less raw material to produce and release far less CO2 than solid wood coffins, so they are better for the environment.

The Tutbury
£320
The Carsington
£356
Wood Veneer Coffins

Very similar to our Wood Effect Coffins these offer a high quality gloss veneer finish that is practically indistinguishable from polished wood. We offer a large range of Veneer Coffins so please click below to see our full range and find a coffin that you feel is perfectly suited for the occasion.

The York
£371
The Kedlestone
£396
The Ashbourne
£457
The Repton
£400
Solid Wood Coffins

These are high quality, hard wood coffins offering robust construction with premium aesthetics. If a solid wood coffin is important to you then these offer an excellent choice at a reasonable price. However, if solid wood is not a factor then please consider the environmental impact and choose a Wood Effect or Veneer Coffin. This will also reduce the cost of the funeral considerably.

The Sherwood
£567
The Derby
£710
The Ascot
£725
The Chesterfield
£765
Caskets

The word casket was originally coined to describe an ornamental box used to hold jewellery or other precious items. Based on a much older design tradition a polished casket offers a very formal and stately feel as it is carried into the church or chapel. The Casket design does offer a more distinct aesthetic because it is selected for only a small percentage of funerals these days.

The Atherton
£470 (Wood Veneer Casket)
The Ashbourne Casket
£499 (Wood Veneer Casket)
The Windsor
£795 (Solid Wood Casket)
The Westminster
£895 (Solid Wood Casket)
Baby and Infant

Our collection of baby and infant coffins and caskets are available in a range of different sizes and colours. While there is nothing we can do to alleviate the pain of losing a young life, each coffin is carefully lined for a soft and comfortable final sleep.

Child’s Coffin Baby Pink
Included Free
Child’s Casket Baby Blue
Included Free
Child’s Coffin Oak Veneer
Included Free
Child’s Casket White
Included Free
Last Supper Collection

Depicting Biblical and religious themes these coffins are best suited for religious and especially catholic funerals. Each scene is artfully countersunk into the body of the coffin presenting a beautiful and polished wood-effect finish.

The Last Supper
£528
The Crown of Thorns
£528
The Lourdes Scene
£528
The Foot of the Cross
£555
Natural Coffins

For those who want to combine a natural beauty with an eco-friendly funeral we offer a range of Natural Coffins. Bamboo, Banana and Willow coffins are especially suitable for environmentally friendly burial and our simple but beautiful cardboard coffins are the best eco-solution for both burial and cremation. Click below to see our full range of coffins for green funerals.

Bamboo
Banana
Willow
Decorated Cardboard

Testimonials

To all at Penrose. We as a family can’t thank you enough for the service you gave to my late mum Lesley Martin. From the moment she came into your care you made sure she was looked after,the funeral was wonderful we are truly great full for everything you had done. Thank you  xx

Sarah and family - March 2025

Thank you to all of you for the care and kind support you gave us during this sad time.

The yellow ties at mum’s funeral was a very special touch, she would have loved that,

Take care,

Sarah and Hayley - November 2022

Thank you for arranging a lovely service for Colin, your support and kindness in a difficult situation was much appreciated. With Love…

The Coe Family - February 2017

Dear Jeremy and Nathan,

We wanted to thank you so much for arranging mum’s funeral. You took charge of everything with such kindness, tact and diplomacy and we felt so lucky to have you supporting us all the way.

Several people commented on your respect and reverence towards mum’s coffin and for the way you kept us quietly informed throughout the day.

We cannot thank you enough for helping to give our darling mum such a beautiful send off. I hope you know how much we appreciate all you have done.

With grateful thanks,

Kay and Philip Randall - June 2021

Dear Nathan,

Just wanted to say a Big Thank you to all of you, for your support and kindness to us all upon the death of our lovely dad Fred Bond. Could you please pass on a thank you to Jon Standard as well for the lovely service he gave.

We are all very grateful for everything you and the team did for us…Thank you

Annie, Mick, Tina, James and all the Bond family - February 2024

Dear Brendon and all the team at Penrose Funeral home,

Just to say thank you very much for the dignified and beautiful send off you provided for Sacha St….n and for the care and kindness you showed to all the family.

Thank you

Suzanne Gray and Tamsin Davies - March 2022
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