The idea of the crematorium was first mooted as early as 1946, but funding couldn’t be secured to build it.
Soon after, funding was made available to the then 24 local authorities that made up the area, and the Monmouthshire and Newport Joint Cremation Committee was formed.
It cost around £85,000 to build it, and the crematorium opened on its 5.5-acre site in Croesyceiliog in 1960.
The building was designed by Mr F Buckley of the architectural practice of Sir Percy Thomas & Son, Cardiff. It was the first crematorium design that the company had done.
Originally the crematory housed two Gibbons Askam cremators, and in January 1964, a further Dowson & Mason cremator was installed, to keep up with increasing demand.
This was the start of a long association with the company, which became part of Evans Universal and then subsequently Facultatieve Technologies, which has continued until the present day.
The cost of an adult's cremation in 1960 was £5 5s 0d, with an extra fee of 3s 6d for a certificate of cremation.
50th anniversary
In 2010, to mark the 50th anniversary year, we had a major re-planting of the trees in the Garden of Remembrance.
These included unusual and endangered species.
We hope that these will grow to form an interesting and environmentally sound arboretum.
As well as this very practical venture, we demonstrated our on-going commitment to customer care by successfully applying for Charter for the Bereaved accreditation.
Awards
The crematorium has received several major national awards over the years.
These have included:
- Charter for the Bereaved 2019, 2020 and 2021 - Gold award achieved
- Wales in Bloom 2018 and 2019 - Gold Medal winner and 1st Prize in the Public Buildings category
- Good Funeral Awards 2016 - We were shortlisted for Crematorium of the Year, and received a Certificate of Commendation in recognition of service to the bereaved
- Green Flag 2016-2021 - We were proud to achieve Green Flag accreditation for our grounds on our first attempt in 2016. We retained it for several years after.
- Charter for the Bereaved 2010-2018 - Silver Award achieved each successive year
- Cemetery of the Year 2007 - received an Honourable Mention in the crematorium section and a Special Award for the best floral displays in either crematoria or cemeteries
- Cemetery of the Year 2006 - runner-up in the crematorium section for excellence and innovation in cemetery management, design and customer service
The crematorium has also been featured on TV, including on the BBC programme How To Have a Good Death.