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Clarabut & Plumbe Funeral Directors

Bedford

About our Bedford funeral home

At Clarabut & Plumbe Funeral Directors we have served the local community of Bedford since 1895. Our funeral home was built in the early 1960s and is ideally located near the town centre, making it easily accessible for local families in Goldington, Sharnbrook, Biddenham, Bromham, Wilstead, Fenlake and beyond.

Our funeral directors are dedicated to helping families to arrange a fitting farewell for your loved one, through providing the utmost care, a high quality service and honouring your cultural or religious requirements. This includes our funeral directors who specialise in Italian funerals and repatriation and our funeral home which has wash and dress facilities suitable for our Sikh and Hindu families.

We understand that arranging a funeral can be a difficult and emotional time, so please know that you are not alone, as we are here to help you through every step.

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

Meet our team

We are Clarabut & Plumbe Funeral Directors, serving families from our funeral homes in Bedfordshire. We understand that life with those closest to you is deeply personal, which is why our team are privileged to honour the final wishes of loved ones, as families and friends say their final farewell.

Our community is very special to us, which is why we are so proud to have close ties with many local businesses, ministers and places of worship in Bedfordshire. Our team are here to help find the most fitting funeral arrangement for your loved one, while providing careful guidance when you need it.

Your wellbeing is paramount to us, which is why we work hard to do all that we can to make a difficult time a little bit easier for you and your family. Please call us at any time you need, so that we can be there for you through every step.

01234 354547
A funeral director speaks to a family who are sat on a bench

To arrange a funeral for your loved one, please call our funeral home on 01234 354547 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

With two packages available, at Clarabut & Plumbe Funeral Directors in Bedford we will be able to arrange the funeral you have in mind for your loved one.

If you’re looking for a traditional or contemporary funeral with a service, you should consider our Attended Funeral. If you want us to arrange a simple cremation without mourners present, our Unattended Funeral may better suit your needs.

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

A tailored funeral

The Attended Funeral

The Attended Funeral provides a tailored and dignified goodbye for your loved one. Whether traditional or contemporary, you can pay your respects in the supportive company of family and friends.

  • The Attended Funeral£2595
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • Plus estimated third party costs for cost of cremation and attendance of a celebrant or minister£1401
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£3996
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The Unattended Funeral

The Unattended Funeral is a lower cost option that allows family and friends to remember your loved one in their own way, without the need for a traditional service or ceremony.

  • The Unattended Funeral£1395
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • (Includes cost of cremation)£-
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£1395
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Memorials

Commemorate your loved one's life with a Memorial to keep their memory alive. Choose from a variety of options, from headstones, urns to memorial plaques, vases, benches, statues, jewellery, and more, allowing you to create something special that reflects their life, love, and cherished memories.

Where to find us

Contact

Speak to our team 24 hours a day on 01234 354547

Our Address

11 Kingsway, Bedford, MK42 9BJ

Get Directions

Funeral home opening times

  • Monday0900 - 1700
  • Tuesday0900 - 1700
  • Wednesday0900 - 1700
  • Thursday0900 - 1700
  • Friday0900 - 1700
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed

Directions and parking

There is ample parking on site.

01234 354547
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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.

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

4.95
based on 93 reviews
Helen Woods
16th Jun 2025

When my father died, after a short illness, we were absolutely lost. We picked a funeral director based on driving past the location each day on our way to visit him in hospital (after checking that the reviews supported our choice). Thank goodness we picked Clarabut & Plumbe. From the very start, they were supportive and respectful of us and my father, guiding us through the arrangements and ensuring that we understood each step of the process. The whole team made an unbearable situation bearable, and I and my family will always be so grateful for that.

The funeral itself was absolutely beautiful, and brilliantly organised - a great send-off for Dad. If I could give more stars, I would.

Carol Andrew
18th Mar 2025

Kind thoughtful staff. They showed respect for my father, knocking on the door when I went to see him and gave me all the time I needed

jo valentine
2nd Nov 2024

Well what can l say?

From the moment you took Mum ( Brenda Haggerwood ) into you care ,until the moment you left us at the Red Lion in Elstow, you were absolutely fantastic, everything was dealt with as if Mum was your own, with the upmost respect and dignity.

Simon- if ever anyone was born to a job, then this is you. Please don't ever change and l thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I can not recommend Clarabut and Plumbe high enough.

THANK YOU 💖

Tracey Watkins
25th Oct 2024

The staff were so kind and helpful after my partner suddenly passed.

Special thanks to Simon - who went the extra mile.

Alison Barnes
4th Jun 2024

We cannot fault the care, love and dignity that the people at Clarabut and Plumb gave to us while we were arranging mum's funeral especially the care for my mum. All our wishes were carried out..Special thanks go to Tamsyn who helped us make the arrangements and Heidi who looked after us on the day itself. We would not hesitate to recommend you and to use you again.

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.