21st May 2018
Sunset Services at the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium
The Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium is offering something special to mourners – sunset services.
The crematorium is set in the beautiful hills of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and has been built so mourners enter the chapel from the east and face westwards, with the coffin placed in front of wall-high windows looking across the to the Clyde coast and the mountain peaks of Arran.
As a result, sunsets here can be spectacular and Philip Ewing, manager of the crematorium, and his team have decided to make available bookings for sunset services.
Philip Ewing said, “The panoramic view through our west-facing picture window when the sun goes down over Arran is stunning. And, of course, sunsets are metaphors for parting and ending. They seem to add poignancy and meaning to the moment of saying goodbye.”
Sunset times vary as the seasons change, and, in the main, these services will be outside the crematorium’s normal operating hours. Sunset services must, therefore, be booked specially and will incur an extra charge.
Red sky sunsets happen when high pressure moves from west to east – which it often does on the Clyde coast as our weather comes predominantly form the west. For a perfect sunset you ideally need some coverage of mid to high level clouds, clean air and calm winds. It goes without saying that our weather is variable and sunsets are not guaranteed, however the concept of having services later in the day has been received positively by Funeral Directors and members of the public.
16th May 2018
The Doors are Open at The Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium
The Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium has opened its doors to the public, after four years of planning and a year of construction.
The crematorium sits in the heart of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, covering 108 square miles of beautiful Scottish countryside. It will principally serve the communities of Largs, Millport, Kilbirnie and Dalry, but also those from further afield – the three towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats, and Stevenson, plus Kilwinning, Irvine, Skelmorlie, Wemyss Bay, Inverkip and the Isles of Bute and Arran.
The facility is run by Manager Philip Ewing, who has spent most of his adult life in Largs and has enormous experience of running crematoria. Philip said, “I have a great team here and we have spent lots of time thinking about how we can improve the experience of visiting a crematorium. We want every service to be flawless to ensure that families can focus on saying their last goodbyes in a setting that is unique and very special”.
The chapel seats 154 people and places the coffin at the centre of proceedings against the backdrop of a view that stretches over to the Clyde Coast and the stunning mountain peaks of Arran.
The crematorium has a large waiting room so mourners can wait out of the weather. Additionally, the waiting room can be used as an overflow space, where large services can be viewed on TV monitors and heard through high quality speakers.
An online music system, Wesley, can source almost any piece of music families are likely to want and there is an organ for those who would like a traditional service. Through the Wesley system we can also show pictures and videos during the service, perhaps accompanied by a favourite piece of music. Services can be watched on-line through a secure internet link and also recorded.
Behind the scenes is the most advanced and environmentally-friendly cremator available, minimising our impact on the natural environment.
Wherever possible, the crematorium has been built using local suppliers. Construction was undertaken by Glasgow-based Luddon Construction and much of the furniture built by Fairlie Furniture in Fairlie.
24 February 2018
Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley nears Completion
Luddon Construction have now handed over the completed crematorium and the Horizon team is working hard getting ready for opening.
There’s a million and one things to get right as commissioning nears completion, from ensuring our internet connection is in place to installing the computerised booking system.
The cremator, the abatement equipment and the crane to move it arrived on a convoy of HGVs last week and are now being installed by Matthews International. Groups of craftsmen, based locally at Fairlie Furniture and from Treske in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, are making furniture for the chapel and other areas.
Not long to go now.
08 August 2017
Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Construction Update
The team from Luddon Construction are making short work of building Horizon’s new crematorium to serve communities in the north Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley.
As our photographer found out when he was sent to site on a rare fine day, the approach road and parking areas are all but complete, the piling is finished, the steel frame is now in and the concrete floorplate is about to be laid.
Everything is on track to see the crematorium open on schedule in the New Year.
09 May 2017
Construction Begins on New Crematorium
New facility will significantly help local families and communities from across the North Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley
Construction on the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium has officially started, with Luddon Construction, the selected contractor now on-site.
The state-of-the-art, environmentally advanced crematorium, located on a 10-acre site next to the Kelburn wind farm entrance on the A760 Dalry Road between Largs and Kilbirnie, will provide a much needed and essential service for local families from across the entire North Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley.
The build programme is scheduled to take 47-weeks, with the facility expected to open in April 2018.
Created to help local families when care and support is most needed, the 160-seat crematorium is a significantly closer and more conveniently located facility for local families, and will incorporate state-of-the-art, environmentally advanced technology, housed within a bright, modern and inspiring building, designed by local architect Ken Robertson of Robertson Design Practice, in a rural style, finished in stone and wood cladding.
The plans also include a number of important design innovations, which local people and stakeholders said were important to them during the extensive consultation.
These include a large, open-plan and welcoming internal reception area, with capacity for up to 90-people, bringing the total internal capacity to at least 250-people.
Offering comfortable seating and a simple, modern and befitting interior, the reception also ensures full disabled access, well-appointed WC facilities, alongside providing comfort and shelter for families and friends – pre and post service.
The large internal reception area is also designed to provide extra capacity in the event of exceptionally large services, with the ceremony hall connected to the reception area via digital audio and LED screens, on which services can be viewed.
Encrypted web-enabled technology will also allow those unable to attend a service, the ability of viewing proceedings securely over the Internet from anywhere in the world.
Jim Hamilton, Chairman of the Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium said:
“We have spent a great deal of time planning the construction of the new facility, working closely with a range of important stakeholders and partners, including Robertson Design Practice, Armour Construction Consultants and Grossart Associates.
“We are also very grateful to Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park for their crucial support during the planning phase, Royal Bank of Scotland for their financial support and backing, North Ayrshire Council planning and building standards, local funeral directors and David Boyle and Lord Glasgow from Kelburn Estate.
“We are delighted to have appointed Luddon Construction, who bring a wealth of experience in delivering high-end civil engineering and construction projects of this type and scale.
“Our focus is to complete the construction programme and to getting the facility open to help support local families as quickly as possible.”
Ian Barclay from Luddon Construction Limited said:
“Luddon are delighted to have been appointed to deliver this state of the art crematorium.
“As work gets underway and throughout the construction period we will make every effort to minimise or avoid disruption to the local community, while at the same time keeping them up to date with the construction plans and developments.
“As a local contractor, we intend to engage with local suppliers for much of the resource requirements of the project, and are now looking forward to getting the construction programme underway.”
For more information please contact Jeremy Hamilton on 07807 426 879 or via jeremy.hamilton@horizoncremation.co.uk
