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Shires

Bedford · MK41 9NSChain
★★★★★4.9 (87 Google reviews)

About Shires

Shires Bedford provide professional and compassionate funeral services during your time of need. We are here to guide you through arranging a funeral.

From the funeral director's own website.

Published prices

Attended funeral · estimated all-in
Around £4,775
Director's fee £3,635 + cremation fee £1,140
Direct cremation
£1,595
No service · already includes the cremation fee
What's included & optional extras
What's included in the attended fee
Legal & administration£1,075
Collection of the deceased£500
Care of the deceased£881
Coffin (oak veneered chipboard)£486
Viewing / chapel of rest£1
Hearse / transport£692
Burial (instead of cremation)
Unattended burial (director's fee)£2,734
+ typical burial fee (paid to the cemetery)£975
Optional extras (charged if used)
Mileage (per mile)£2
Transfer / removal£850
Return of ashes£99
Embalming£222
Officiant / ministerPOA
Out-of-hours collectionPOA

Estimated all-in = the funeral director's own charges plus the crematorium's cremation fee. Prices from their CMA Standardised Price List — April 2026 list. An estimate — confirm the exact, current price directly with the provider.

What people say

★★★★★
As a family we would like to thank all at Shires for the care that they gave to us during such a difficult period in our lives. What we found helpful was that we were guided through each step and reminded when we needed to meet specific deadlines during funeral planning. This helped us a lot at a time when we were not sure how to cope with such an overwhelming situation. In particular we must thank Clare for helping us each step of the way. The funeral ran smoothly and we were very pleased with the choice that we made to got to Shires. Thank you.
★★★★★
We couldn't have chosen a more professional company. The staff, Clare and Donna were friendly, kind and listened to what we wanted for our Mum's journey. Mum looked beautiful and at peace when we visited and it was obvious a lot of care had been taken to achieve this. The celebrant, Nikki was amazing and her professionalism throughout the service was perfect. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who made this possible and would highly recommend them for your loved ones.
★★★★★
A truly outstanding and compassionate service We cannot thank Shires Funeral Directors enough for the way they handled the arrangements for our mother’s funeral. From the very first meeting, Sally and her team were kind, professional, and genuinely caring — guiding us through every step with sensitivity and calm reassurance. Nothing was too much trouble, and every detail was carried out seamlessly. The team brought a real sense of dignity and warmth to the whole process, helping make a difficult time so much easier for the family. The service itself ran perfectly and reflected everything we
★★★★★
Such a friendly, welcoming and professional service we found at Shires, Bedford. Clare made our first meeting so relaxed and easy to navigate through all that needed to be done. On the day of the funeral, John coordinated everyone and handled us and all the guests with professionalism and kindness. I would highly recommend Shires to anyone in need of a funeral director.
★★★★★
Thank you Clare and Sally for all your help and support with arranging funeral for family member we recently lost, its been an incredibly difficult and emotional loss for the family, our grief has been heartbreaking. Clare provided the help and support with funeral arrangements, including Sally, who also supported the family on the day of the funeral, I would recommend Shires on Goldington Road to everyone, they were brilliant, they totally devote their time and effort for family. Thank you Clare, Thank you Sally, lots of love to all staff members at Shires, from my family to your family.

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