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R C Payne & Son Funeral Directors

Southampton

About our Bitterne funeral home

Here at R C Payne & Son Funeral Directors in Bitterne, we offer a way for the families in this part of Southampton to say a dignified goodbye to their loved ones. If you have experienced the loss of somebody special, we can arrange a fitting funeral in which to remember them.

At a time of emotional upheaval, our team of Bitterne funeral directors is here to support you. We can provide guidance and comfort, helping you face some of the difficulties that arise following bereavement, while ensuring your loved one receives a personal farewell.

Having served the local community here in Southampton since 1887, you can be certain of a professional but compassionate standard of care. Established by Robert Chapman Payne, we have always been a part of Bitterne, starting from a house on Commercial Street (now a car park on the site of the old Percy Arms pub), before moving, in the 1930s, a short way down the road to our current premises.

Both the son and the grandson of our founder, along with his brother and nephew, have worked at our Bitterne funeral home, which over the years has undergone complete renovation.

All types of funeral can be arranged from either here, or, if you are unable to visit, your home. So whether you want an unattended cremation, religious or humanist ceremony, a traditional service or something a little more out of the ordinary, we will give you the opportunity to pay your respects in an appropriate and heartfelt manner.

You can find our funeral home on Bitterne Road East, putting us within easy reach of the surrounding areas in Southampton, such as Harefield, Itchen, Thornhill and Weston. We have a chapel of rest on the premises, allowing you to spend time with your loved one in a peaceful and private environment, on a day of your choosing.

The friendly team at our Bitterne funeral directors is always available to help in a time of need. You can contact us 24 hours of the day and there will be somebody ready to listen. To arrange your loved one’s funeral,

What we offer

  • Advice and guidance at every step, including registering the death
  • Arrangements that are tailored to meet your family's needs
  • Local expertise and knowledge
  • Cremation or burial at any local crematorium or burial site
  • Funeral services of all faiths and cultures
  • Viewing of the deceased in the chapel of rest
  • Hearses, funeral vehicles and bespoke transport options
  • Memorials and tributes
  • Prepaid funeral plans

To arrange a funeral for your loved one, please call our funeral home on 023 8044 9111 today.

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Funeral Services with distinction

We are proud to be part of Dignity Funerals, a collection of the UKs finest funeral directors, with each and every one committed to setting superior standards.

Many Dignity funeral directors have been part of the local community for generations and it is a privilege to serve those who live beside us. Our rich and lengthy heritage ensures we can deliver our service with local knowledge and unparalleled expertise.

99.0%
99 per cent of families said that Dignity met or exceeded their expectations.
97.7%
97.7 per cent of people said that they would recommend Dignity.
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Our services

Find out more about the Unattended and Attended Funeral packages we offer to our Southampton community, here in Bitterne. Select one of the options below.

View our Standardised Price List, Additional Options Price List and Crematoria Price List.

A tailored funeral

The Attended Funeral

Our Attended Funeral includes care of your loved one, a Park Coffin, a service at the place of committal which can be personalised as required for your loved one, followed by a burial or cremation.

  • Attended Funeral £2795
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • Plus estimated third party costs for cost of cremation and attendance of a celebrant or minister£1434
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£4229
The estimated costs shown are for cremation only. Please call us if you would like to discuss a burial.
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The Unattended Funeral

Our Unattended Funeral will best suit your needs if you want to arrange a simple and straightforward cremation without a service or ceremony, allowing you and your loved one's friends and family to commemorate them in your own way.

  • Unattended Funeral £1495
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • (Includes cost of cremation)£-
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£1495
The estimated costs shown are for an unattended cremation. Please call us if you would like to discuss a burial.
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Memorials

Choose from a variety of options, including headstones and urns to memorial plaques, vases, statues, jewellery and plenty more. With a Memorial, you can create a tribute that especially reflects the life, love and cherished memories of your loved one.

Where to find us

Contact

Speak to our team 24 hours a day on 023 8044 9111

Our Address

485 Bitterne Road East, Bitterne, Southampton, SO18 5EQ

Get Directions

Funeral home opening times

  • Monday0830 - 1630
  • Tuesday0830 - 1630
  • Wednesday0830 - 1630
  • Thursday0830 - 1630
  • Friday0830 - 1630
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed

24 hour availability

Outside of our funeral home’s opening times, we are available 24 hours a day by phone.

023 8044 9111
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Supporting you along the way

We understand that there is a lot to think about, so if you do need assistance with your loved one's funeral arrangements, our funeral experts will offer you all the support you need.

What to do when someone dies

What to do when someone dies

It’s perfectly normal to be unsure of what you need to do following the death of a loved one. These step-by-step guides will carefully explain everything you need to when someone dies, helping you through each stage of the process.

Planning a funeral

Planning a funeral

Our guides on planning a funeral will ensure your loved one's send off is a personal and unique celebration of their life. We will explain how our Funeral Directors will help you plan a funeral service and support you at every stage.

The day of the funeral

The day of the funeral

This guide will explain what happens at a funeral; including the funeral procession, funeral service, committal service and the wake. We will be here to help you through every step of the journey.

Frequently asked questions

When someone dies, the first steps will depend on how and where the person passed away. Our step-by-step guides will walk you through the practical steps. For additional support and personal advice, please get in touch with us.

You don't have to make an appointment at our funeral homes. However, doing so will ensure that someone can be available to cater to your needs. When arranging a funeral, our Funeral Directors are happy to visit you in your own home, if required.

Third party funeral costs are additional charges which we will manage for you and attach to your single invoice. Get in touch with us to confirm costs and plan a funeral to fit your budget.

If you choose to arrange the funeral with us, you will be given the option of a complimentary Funeral Notice. We will set it up for you using the details discussed during the arrangements. All we need is an email address.

Dignity Funeral Plans let you pay for your funeral in advance and at today's price. It's a way of taking control of the unexpected, setting out the arrangements and limiting the costs by paying for the services included in the funeral plan upfront.

We are a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors and as such we abide by The Funeral Director Code. We also have a legal obligation to try and ensure the person who is arranging a funeral has the right to do so, or has permission from those who do.

If you are aware that someone has been appointed as the administrator, you should only arrange the funeral with this person's agreement.

If there is no Will or Letters of Administration, then the responsibility would pass to the next of kin.

A Memorial is a way of creating a lasting memory to help remember a loved one.

Dignity has been established for over 200 years and is one of the UK's leading providers of Funerals and with an 'Excellent' Trustpilot rating (02/24). We are proud to help our customers every year with a diverse range of Memorial products and services to help remember their loved ones.

We offer a wide range of products – from traditional headstones, kerb sets, urns and benches to remembrance trees, plaques and vases. We also offer more personal and modern options such as jewellery, pin badges and photo related memorial products. As well as completely customised items.To organise your Memorial contact us on {{BRANCH_PHONE}}

From 9 September 2024, there will no longer be a doctor's fee in England and Wales when arranging a funeral. This is because from this date, all deaths in England and Wales will be independently viewed, either by a relevant coroner or by a Medical Examiner and the cost will be met by the NHS.

A Medical Examiner is a specifically trained independent senior doctor who will scrutinise all deaths across a local area that do not fall under the coroner's jurisdiction. By providing a greater level of scrutiny over the cause of deaths; it is hoped that the introduction of Medical Examiners will make it less likely that unnatural causes of death will go unnoticed; that the number of deaths unnecessarily referred to the coroner will be reduced and that national data about causes of death will be captured with greater accuracy.

Medical Examiners, or Medical Examiner Officers, will also be available to meet with families, or their representatives, if they wish to discuss the cause of death.

Our reviews

4.91
based on 65 reviews
Stephen Beal
22nd Jan 2025

Absolutely first class so caring and understanding and absolutely lovely staff.

Stephen Bailey
21st Sep 2024

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all the staff at R C Paynes & Sons in particular Matthew who was an absolute blessing in such a difficult time, he showed an outstanding amount of professionalism and empathy. He made the entire process of arranging our brother’s funeral as easy as possible.

Melanie Gray
11th Jun 2024

I would highly recommend R C Payne & sons. They have handled both my Mum and Dads funeral over the last four months. The service was amazing and they were so kind and considerate and handled everything beautifully.

Jim Lawrence
18th Apr 2024

RC Payne & Son recently conducted my brother's funeral, and I would happily recommend their friendly, sympathetic and highly professional service to anyone who has suffered a bereavement.

Bev Cole
5th Apr 2024

I would like to say thank you especially to Julie and of course the rest of her team. Julie looked after my family to organise the funeral for both my auntie and uncle very close together. I cannot say how grateful I am for her kindness to me and my mother when we were both in terrible shock to a sudden loss in the family. Nothing was too much and she was incredibly patient with our questions. The funeral for both Kevin and Anita went along beautifully with no problems or hassles. The entire process was organised so efficiently. Thank you again, Bev

Calls are recorded for monitoring and quality purposes. All calls made to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free of charge whether made from a landline or mobile phone. Dignity Funerals Limited is a company registered in England No. 00041598. VAT registered No. 486 6081 14. Registered office: 4 King Edwards Court, King Edwards Square, Sutton Coldfield B73 6AP. Dignity Funerals Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 967130. Please note that the selling and administering of funeral plans is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however if you are purchasing a funeral without a funeral plan this will not be covered by FCA regulation.