Determining the correct size of coffin for a body is important. The deceased should fit comfortably in the coffin without there being too much room for the body to move around during transportation.
The right size of coffin
When a Funeral Director contacts us to request a willow coffin, we always ask for the measurements of the deceased. This enables us to make a coffin specific to the person. The coffin will be two inches longer and two inches wider than the person it is needed for. Our standard depth of coffin is 13 inches.
Our standard coffin sizes
While all our coffins are ‘made-to-measure’ (and many are bespoke designs) they can be categorized as follows;
A ‘small’ willow coffin is 5ft 6″ long by 18″ wide
A ‘medium’ willow coffin is 6ft 0″ long by 20″ wide
A ‘large’ willow coffin is 6ft 4″ long by 24″ wide
If the internal coffin measurements exceed 6ft 4” long or 26” wide or 14” deep, we could class it as oversize. This doesn’t stop our skilled weavers from making a beautiful willow coffin to fit. We have made coffins for some incredibly tall people.
The grave
If a gravedigger is asking for the size of the coffin you will need the external dimensions. With one of our willow coffins it is simply a case of adding 4 inches to the length and 6 inches to the width. The additional width is to allow for the handles. Our coffins have load bearing handles which can comfortably carry 30 stone. These willow handles protrude from the side of the coffin and they need to be taken into consideration when digging the grave. You don’t want the additional distress of the coffin not fitting into the grave.
Lining the coffin
All our coffins are lined (including the lid). A pillow and mattress can also be supplied – these are filled with hay which has been grown in our fields. Over the past year, we have seen a rise in the number of requests for coloured linings and pillows. Customers are taking the opportunity to personalise the coffin inside and out.
Again, each pillow and/or mattress that we make is designed to fit in a specific size coffin and we have a dedicated lining workshop to hand fit every liner.
A good Funeral Director can take care of all these matters for you. For more information, please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions.
