About us
Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things any of us will have to deal with in life…
At Seaton Leng we’re here to provide help and support at this difficult time, gently guiding you through all of the funeral arrangements.
As one of the largest and longest-established funeral companies in the North East of England, our family-run firm has been supporting the local community for over 100 years.
James Tindale – Managing Director
Organise a Funeral
When you’re faced with organising a funeral it can be difficult to know where to begin
At Seaton Leng we’ll gently guide you through every stage – removing any stresses or worries you may have.
We’ll take care of all the practical arrangements – giving you the reassurance that every detail has been carefully considered. We’ll clearly explain all of the choices and help you make the decisions that are right for you and your family.
Here are some of the things you may wish to consider:
Will the funeral service be burial or cremation?
Is the service to be religious or non-religious?
Is the service to take place in church, at the crematorium, in a cemetery chapel, at the graveside, or somewhere else?
What vehicles will be required on the day of the funeral?
To help you with the whole funeral process below are some recommended links:
Blackwell Grange Hotel, Darlington: www.sjhotels.co.uk
Bannatyne Hotel, Darlington: www.bannatyne.co.uk
Catering In Style: www.cateringinstyle.co.uk
Bereavement Care: www.cruse.org.uk
For general enquiries please contact us via email at [email protected] or to speak to us directly please telephone 01325 465 647
Pre Payment Schemes
There are many of us who wish to make personal funeral arrangements, not only for our own peace of mind for the future, but also to prevent those close to us from making these decisions at a difficult time.
Planning ahead for your funeral is one of the most thoughtful and caring things you can do. Some people never get round to discussing funeral wishes with their loved ones, which can lead to all sorts of worry and anxiety when the time comes.
Taking out a funeral plan is a simple and straightforward way to remove this worry, and it can provide real financial benefits too. Some of the other benefits include:
- Pre-arranging the details of your funeral and including any special wishes
- Making financial provision for your funeral
- Choosing your funeral director in advance
- Ensuring your family has access to expert help and advice at a difficult time
What’s more, there are no complicated medical forms to complete.
Our plans cover our costs (as specified in the plan paperwork) as long as we carry out the funeral and your requirements don’t change. You can also make a contribution towards third party costs, such as the cremation fees. These costs are outside of our control.
For more information, please download our funeral plans brochure
Financial security
We aim to provide outstanding financial security for your money. All funeral plan pre-payments are held securely in individual whole of life assurance policies for your peace of mind.
Backed by a trusted, national provider
Our funeral plans are provided by Ecclesiastical Planning Services Limited, which is part of a specialist, UK-based financial services group.
Flexible payment options
You can choose to pay for your funeral plan by lump sum or in instalments. There is an additional cost for paying over two or more years and eligibility criteria applies.
Terms and Conditions apply to funeral plans – please ask us if you have any questions.
We are an Appointed Representative of Ecclesiastical Planning Services Limited Reg. No. 2644860, registered in England at Benefact House, 2000 Pioneer Avenue, Gloucester Business Park, Brockworth, Gloucester, GL3 4AW, UK, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm Reference Number 958152. The Financial Conduct Authority regulates pre-paid funeral plans only.
For general enquiries please contact us via email at [email protected] or to speak to us directly please telephone 01325 465 647
Floral Tributes
Bereavement is a sensitive time when family & friends experience a wide range of emotions.
On these occasions, the timeless beauty of flowers provides a unique opportunity to express these feelings and can bring comfort to the bereaved. From a natural arrangement to a more formal tribute, the emotive language of flowers is boundless.
Sprays | Special Tributes | Family Tributes | Childrens Tributes | Sympathy Flowers | Church Flowers | Religious Tributes | Wreaths
For general enquiries please contact us via email at [email protected] or to speak to us directly please telephone 01325 465 647
Your Burial Service
If you’re planning a burial service, our supportive and experienced funeral directors are here to guide you through every step
If you’re not sure about any of the details just yet, don’t worry. We can answer any questions you may have, helping you make the decisions that are right for you and your family.
Here are some of the things you may wish to consider:
Where will the funeral service be held?
(for example, in church or at the cemetery chapel prior to interment, or simply at the graveside)
Would you like the service to be religious or non-religious?
Are there any particular hymns and/or music that you would like to include?
Are you planning on family flowers only – with donations, in lieu of flowers, for a chosen charity?
Which cemetery or churchyard would you like the interment to take place in?
Is an existing grave available or will a new grave be required?
Our aim is to make arranging a funeral as straightforward and stress-free as possible.
We therefore offer a range of additional services to help make things easier for you:
Place an announcement in a newspaper of your choice
Assist with the organising of refreshments after a funeral service
Provide a printing service as required (orders of service, attendance and acknowledgement cards etc.)
For general enquiries please contact us via email at [email protected] or to speak to us directly please telephone 01325 465 647
Your Cremation Service
Our funeral directors will provide guidance and assistance to you at all times.
If you’re not sure about any of the details just yet, don’t worry. We can answer any questions you may have, helping you make the decisions that are right for you and your family.
Here are some of the things you may wish to consider:
You will need to consider initially where the funeral service is to be held (i.e. Church (or alternative) followed by the committal at the crematorium, or simply a service at the crematorium), whether the service is to be religious or non-religious, any hymns and/or music required, and whether family flowers only are desired and donations, in lieu, for a chosen charity.
We can arrange for an announcement to be placed in a newspaper of your choice, assist with the organising of refreshments after a funeral service and provide a printing service as required (orders of service, attendance and acknowledgement cards etc).
To help you with the whole funeral process below are some recommended links:
Darlington Crematorium and Cemeteries : www.darlington.gov.uk/your-council/cemeteries-and-crematorium
Darlington Registrars : www.darlington.gov.uk/your-council/register-office/registering-a-death
Florist (Elm Ridge Gardens) : www.elmridgefloristdarlington.co.uk
Stonemason (Bambridge Brothers) : www.bambridgebros.co.uk
For general enquiries please contact us via email at [email protected] or to speak to us directly please telephone 01325 465 647
FAQ’s
Yes – It is important to contact a funeral director as soon as possible in order for them to be able to guide and assist you at this time. Funeral arrangements can be made before a death is registered, however, it may not be possible to confirm the day/time of funeral or place a newspaper announcement until registration has taken place.
This is dependent on whether the funeral will be burial or cremation. A death is often required to be registered, however, a person can be moved relatively quickly when burial is to take place. For cremation to take place, it is necessary for medical forms to be completed by two doctors (these may take approximately 48 hours for completion) before a person can be moved into a funeral directors’ care.
No – Contact a funeral director as soon as you feel ready, as some preliminary arrangements are able to be made for the funeral. You will not be able to finalise the arrangements until the coroner grants the necessary authorisation for a funeral service to take place.
Ideally, you will need to leave some contact details and instructions for a funeral service with a nursing home / carer / neighbour etc. to enable a funeral director to be contacted in the event of something happening. The person can then be moved into the care of a funeral director who will be able to provide advice and guidance on registering the death and may be able to make some arrangements for the funeral ready for your return.
Please ring to discuss this with us, or click on contact us for some general information. We are able to provide eco-friendly coffins and help you with your enquiries.
Ring for a doctor to attend who will certify that death has taken place. (The doctor will, if able to, usually issue a Medical Certificate Of Cause Of Death which will be required by the Registrar.) Ring for a funeral director to attend who will arrange to move the person into their care (a 24 hour service is provided for this reason). A death is required to be registered at the local registrars in the district in which the death has occurred within 5 working days. In addition to other forms, the registrars will issue a green certificate for Notification of Burial or Cremation which is required by the funeral director in order for a service to take place. For Darlington, please telephone the Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages, Feethams, Darlington DL1 5QT. Tel: 01325 406 400 to make an appointment (The Medical Certificate Of Cause Of Death must be available in order to do this). Funeral arrangements may be made as soon as you feel ready to do so.
The hospital doctors will arrange for a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to be issued as soon as possible, and staff will advise you when this will be available for collection. The registrars should be contacted in order to make an appointment to register the death (please refer to details above). A funeral director should be contacted as soon as you feel ready to do so, who will be able to help and guide you through this difficult time.
In certain circumstances a death may be referred to the coroner. In these instances, please contact a funeral director who will be able to advise you.
For general enquiries please contact us via email at [email protected] or to speak to us directly please telephone 01325 465 647
Pricing
At Seaton Leng & Son, we aim to deliver you and your loved ones a bespoke service, and we know from experience that no two funerals are the same. We provide our prices below so that you can plan confidently, knowing the costs associated with our services.
Professional services including
- Care and transport of the deceased from a local residence or hospital
- Funeral planning and assistance
- 24 hour contact with a dedicated funeral director
- Preparation of the deceased including hygienic treatment and dressing in a gown, or own clothing.
- Provision of a hearse to transport the deceased from a residence to a church, crematorium, or cemetery.
- Conducting of the funeral by the funeral director and a team of experienced pallbearers
- Family viewing (out of hours by appointment)
£1920.00
We provide a wide variety of coffins, ranging from our simple ‘Bamburgh’, ‘Carlisle’ and ‘Durham’ ranges, to more contemporary wicker and colourful coffins. We work with longstanding companies within the industry to make sure that all our coffins are of the highest standard available and can work with you to provide exactly what you require.
Bamburgh – Veneered oak or mahogany without handles
£570.00
Carlisle – Veneered oak or mahogany with plastic handles (suitable for cremation)
£610.00
Durham – Veneered oak or mahogany with metal handles (suitable for burial)
£670.00
Raby – Veneered oak or mahogany with a raised lid and handles
£830.00
All of our standard coffins are completed with a hand engraved nameplate.
Wicker Coffins
From £700.00
Colourful coffins
From £700.00
Solid oak or mahogany raised lid coffins
From £1700.00
American caskets
£POA
Limousine* (per vehicle)
£280.00
Extra Time at Darlington Crematorium
£100.00
Church Service
£POA
Obituary Notice
£POA
Floral Tributes
£POA
Name taking and binded book of attendance
£90.00
Reception to home prior to funeral
£350.00
Reception to church
£450.00
Recording of Service
£POA
Service Sheets
From £1.00 each
Organist
£50.00
Metal Urn
£50.00
Scattering of Ashes (in Darlington Cemeteries)
£50.00
Wooden Casket
£80.00
* Costs for hearse and limousines are dependent on the service taking place within Darlington town. A surcharge is added where funerals take place outside of Darlington.
Professional Services
£1920.00
Coffin
From £570.00
Crematorium Fee (Darlington)
£955.00
Doctors’ Fees
£164.00
Officiant to lead the funeral service
From £180.00
From £3789.00
Professional Services
£1920.00
Coffin
From £670.00
Purchase of grave (not applicable if you have already purchased)
£980.00
Interment Fee (Darlington)
£960.00
Officiant to lead the funeral service
From £180.00
From £4710.00*
*This price reflects a new grave purchase by a Darlington resident in a Darlington Cemetery. Burial charges will however vary greatly depending on numerous factors such as residence and cemetery.
We know that funeral costs can be considerable and will always endeavour to help bring costs down if asked to. As such we are pleased to be able to offer our Alnwick Plan, which simplifies this process.
The Alnwick plan still allows families to visit their loved one in our chapel of rest and includes pallbearers to carry the coffin at the crematorium. However, these elements can be removed if required.
Seaton Leng ‘Alnwick Costs’
Professional Services including
£1835.00
- Care and transport of the deceased from a local residence or hospital
- Funeral planning and assistance
- 24 hour contact with a dedicated funeral director
- Preparation of the deceased including hygienic treatment and dressing in a gown, or own clothing.
- Provision of a hearse to transport the deceased directly to the crematorium.
- Conducting of the funeral by the funeral director and a team of experienced pallbearers
- Family viewing (during office hours only)
Simple Coffin
£400.00
Cremation Fee
£955.00
Doctors’ Fees
£164.00
Officiant to lead the funeral service
From £180.00
£3534.00
Arrangement and Attendance
£855.00
Removal of deceased to Seaton Leng (20 mile radius)
£350.00
Hygienic treatment
£155.00
Hearse
£410.00
Limousine
£280.00
Bearers
£220.00
For general enquiries please contact us via email at [email protected] or to speak to us directly please telephone 01325 465 647
Our Team
James Tindale – Managing Director
Having attended Barnard Castle School, I went on to study Building Surveying at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, before joining the family business in 1997, following in the footsteps of my father, Peter and grandfather Raymond.
I am extremely proud to be able to continue the firm for another generation. At Seaton Leng, we pride ourselves on the service that we provide, and the way that we do it, blending traditional values with modern day progress. I live in Darlington with my wife Sarah (who also works in the family firm) and our two children, Isaac & Malachi. I am a keen squash player and enjoy reading and walking our dog.
David Brassell – Assistant Manager / Funeral Director
I started working in the funeral industry twenty years ago and have been a funeral director here at Seaton Leng since November 2008. I am an everyday family man, living in Newton Aycliffe with my partner and children.
I have a huge passion for football, whether that be Liverpool FC, or my very own Heighington FC, where over the years I have dedicated my time to coaching and managing both the Youth Teams and more latterly the Adult Teams. This enthusiasm has led to me recently stepping into the shoes of Club Chairman! I thoroughly enjoy my work life, my family life and my hobbies and look forward to the future working with my Seaton Leng colleagues.
Richard Harding – Funeral Director
I have been working in the funeral industry for 10 years, and have been employed with Seaton Leng since 2014. After learning the various aspects of the funeral trade through my work as an assistant to the team here at Seaton Leng – I was subsequently promoted to funeral director in 2018.
I commute from Barnard Castle, where I live with my fiancée and son. I enjoy cooking, going to the gym, and am currently enrolled in an Open University course studying Classical History and Art.
