A NEW crematorium has opened near Thirsk.

The multi-million-pound, council led development which has been named Maple Park in memory of the members of the Royal Canadian Airforce who sadly lost their lives in the area during WW2.

The 22-acre site which features a revolutionary electric cremator to reduce emissions and therefore the area’s carbon footprint, is close to both the A1 and A19 and includes a service hall to accommodate approximately 120 mourners plus additional room for standing. There is also an entrance foyer, waiting lobby, offices and a family room.

As well as this, the single storey facility includes a wake facility and café, which is set to open soon, with beautiful views out over the Hambleton hills.

The site also offers a memorial garden, meadows and a wooded area making it a calm and peaceful place for reflection or for scattering ashes.

A digital book of remembrance which is the first in North Yorkshire is also available, enabling families to create, edit and publish final messages for their loved ones.

The site poignantly also features 98 maple trees, planted to commemorate the bombers lost in operations flown from nearby RAF Skipton-on-Swale.

For more information about the facility go to: www.maplepark.co.uk