Poetic Endings · Alternative funeral venues · Hampstead
Funerals at Burgh House
A personal funeral in a historic house in the heart of Hampstead.
With its wood-panelled Music Room, Library and courtyard, Burgh House offers a welcoming setting for a funeral ceremony and time together afterwards. We can arrange the funeral here, with cremation or burial taking place separately.
We can check availability, explain the costs and help you plan the day.
Location
Hampstead, London NW3
Ceremony seating
Up to 70 guests
Minimum hire
Three hours
Venue hire
From £1,760
Catering additional
The setting
A house with room for stories
Burgh House is a Grade I listed Queen Anne house among the streets of Hampstead village. Its historic rooms provide space for a ceremony, music and readings, followed by food and drink.
The Music Room can be arranged with rows of chairs for the funeral. The Library offers a quieter space, while the contemporary Peggy Jay Gallery and courtyard can form part of the gathering, depending on the arrangements agreed with the venue.
Poetic Endings has worked with the Burgh House team. We can coordinate the ceremony and the practical arrangements, from bringing the coffin into the house to the onward journey for cremation or burial.
Arranging the funeral
How it works
We bring the venue, ceremony and onward arrangements together, with a clear estimate before anything is booked.
Confirm the date and space
We check availability with Burgh House and agree the guest numbers, room layout and time needed for setup, the ceremony and clearing away.
Plan the funeral
We can help with a celebrant or minister, readings, music, flowers, the coffin, transport and pallbearers. We will discuss any part you would like to take in the ceremony.
Arrange what follows
You may stay at the house for a catered gathering or attend a committal elsewhere. Cremation or burial is arranged separately, on the same day or another day, subject to availability.
Costs
What does it cost?
Burgh House has a minimum hire period of three hours. Venue hire and catering are additional to the funeral arrangements.
Hire rates supplied by Burgh House in November 2026. We will confirm the full quote and arrangements before booking.
- First hour
- £660
- Each subsequent hour
- £550
- Three-hour minimum
- £1,760
Catering
Food and drink are provided by Leafi and quoted separately. A minimum catering spend applies; the amount will be confirmed for your booking.
Funeral arrangements
Our funeral director fees, the coffin, transport, ceremony arrangements and cremation or burial costs are separate. We will include these in your written estimate.
Can we hire the house without catering?
Bookings normally include catering. Hire without catering may be considered by Burgh House, but has not been agreed as a standard option. Please ask us to check before making plans.
The ceremony
Music, photographs and tributes
The Music Room has a baby grand piano and a setting well suited to acoustic music. A pianist, harpist or small acoustic ensemble could be part of the ceremony.
Burgh House can provide easels for photographs or display boards. We will confirm equipment, sound requirements and any associated charges in advance.
All live music must be acoustic and finish by 9.30pm. Dancing is not permitted in the house.
Planning the day
When is the house available?
These are Burgh House's usual private hire hours, subject to existing bookings. They are not a live availability calendar.
Monday, Tuesday and Saturday offer the widest daytime hire window. Some other days begin in the late afternoon, so the cremation or burial may need to take place on a different day.
We will check the venue and committal timings together before agreeing the arrangements.
| Day | Hire hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 10am to 10.30pm |
| Tuesday | 10am to 10.30pm |
| Wednesday | 4.30pm to 10.30pm |
| Thursday | 4.30pm to 10.30pm |
| Friday | 2pm to 10.30pm |
| Saturday | 10am to 10.30pm |
| Sunday | 4.30pm to 10.30pm |
Cremation or burial
After the ceremony
Burgh House is the venue for the funeral ceremony. The cremation or burial takes place elsewhere. You can attend the committal or choose for this to be private or unattended, where available.
Cremation
We can coordinate a separate crematorium booking, allowing for travel time and any shorter committal you would like to attend.
Explore crematoriaTraditional burial
A cemetery burial can follow the ceremony, subject to the grave arrangements and availability. We will explain the relevant fees.
Explore cemeteriesNatural burial
We can arrange the onward journey to a natural burial ground and confirm its requirements for the coffin and flowers.
Explore natural burial
Time together afterwards
Food, drink and space to gather
Leafi, Burgh House's in-house caterer, offers a choice of menus and service styles. You can discuss refreshments, a seated meal or a standing reception with the catering team directly.
- 70 guestsSeated in rows for a ceremony
- 64 guestsFor a seated meal, with space for a further eight in a separate area if required
- 110 guestsFor a standing reception
The hire includes exclusive use of the Music Room and Library, with use of the Peggy Jay Gallery. Exclusive use of the courtyard depends on meeting Leafi's minimum spend. We will confirm the final layout and use of each space for your booking.
Getting there
Visiting Burgh House
Burgh House is in Hampstead village, around a five-minute walk from Hampstead Underground station on the Northern line.
The Music Room, Library and courtyard have step-free access. Please tell us about any access requirements so we can confirm the entrance, route and room layout with the venue.
There is no on-site car park. We will agree the hearse arrival, coffin access and passenger drop-off arrangements with Burgh House.
Burgh House access informationNew End Square
Hampstead
London NW3 1LT
To arrange a funeral here, contact Poetic Endings on 020 4525 8318.
Burgh House venue enquiries: 020 7431 0144
Poetic Endings
Thoughtful funerals
We are independent funeral directors based in Forest Hill, arranging funerals across London. We have worked with Burgh House and can take responsibility for coordinating the funeral with its events team.
We will listen to what matters to you, explain the choices and costs, and look after the practical details throughout.
Practical questions
Funerals at Burgh House
Can the coffin be present?
We can arrange a funeral ceremony at Burgh House with the coffin present. We will agree access, its position in the room, pallbearers and the final seating layout with the venue as part of planning the funeral.
How many people can attend?
The venue accommodates up to 70 guests seated in rows for a ceremony. The final funeral layout will be confirmed with Burgh House. For a seated meal, it can accommodate 64 guests, plus a further eight in a separate area if required. The standing reception capacity is 110; this is not the seated ceremony capacity.
Is £1,760 the total funeral cost?
No. £1,760 is the minimum three-hour venue hire: £660 for the first hour plus two hours at £550. Catering has a separate minimum spend. Our funeral director fees, the coffin, transport, ceremony arrangements and cremation or burial are additional. We will prepare a full written estimate for your arrangements.
Can we have the ceremony without a catered gathering?
Bookings normally include catering. Burgh House may consider hire without catering for our clients, but this requires specific agreement and is not currently a confirmed option. We can ask the venue on your behalf.
Can the ceremony be religious or non-religious?
We can help plan a religious or non-religious ceremony, or one that includes different traditions. A minister, celebrant or someone you know may lead it. We will check any particular requirements with the venue.
Can children attend?
Yes. If six or more children will attend, Burgh House asks for suitable childcare provision to be arranged. We can clarify the arrangements needed with the venue.
Does the cremation or burial have to be on the same day?
No. We can discuss a committal on the same day or a different day, subject to crematorium or burial-ground availability and the practical arrangements. A separate day may suit a late-afternoon or evening ceremony at Burgh House.
Poetic Endings · Funeral directors serving all London
Talk to us about Burgh House
We can check dates with the venue, discuss the ceremony and put together a clear estimate for the funeral.
Venue hire, catering and availability are subject to confirmation by Burgh House and Leafi. Hire information supplied by Burgh House in November 2026. Visit Burgh House's website.