Dating back to ancient Egypt, funeral cortege; the journey that carries the deceased and mourners to the site of the funeral ceremony, has deep roots. However, since what was once a grand procession, overtured by musicians and wailing subjects, is now often seen as a purely functional aspect of the funeral; it is safe to say that funeral corteges have had a bit of a fall from grace in the past five millennia. At Welham jones, your local, family-run funeral directors, we are committed to making every aspect of a funeral as personal and meaningful as possible, which is why this blog will explain how you can create a bespoke route and the most popular landmarks that families like to see in Tunbridge Wells.
The concept of the funeral procession dates back millennia, with some of the earliest examples found in Egyptian hieroglyphs. These elaborate ceremonies were held 70 days after death, with mourners, musicians and priests escorting the mummified body to the Nile, where they would cross to the burial ground in the Valley of the Kings. This journey symbolised the soul’s passage into the afterlife.
In Ancient Greece and Rome, corteges were tributes to a person’s social standing and family honour. Romans often carried portraits of deceased ancestors and hired professional mourners, while Greeks began their processions at dawn to symbolise the soul’s journey from darkness to light.
During the medieval Christian period, funeral routes were more subdued and devotional. Processions were led by priests carrying a cross and followed by family dressed according to their relationship with the deceased. The route would often include symbolic landmarks, with townsfolk joining in along the way.
By the Renaissance, processions became opportunities to highlight personal legacy. Effigies sometimes replaced the body, and objects representing the deceased’s achievements: books, artwork, tools of a trade, were carried along the route.
The Industrial Revolution reshaped corteges into more formal events, with long journeys requiring horse-drawn carriages. In the 20th century, the arrival of gas-powered hearses transformed funeral transportation, eventually leading to the dignified, personalised corteges we see today.
A cortege can begin from anywhere that feels meaningful. Many families in Tunbridge Wells choose to begin the journey from the deceased’s home, a relative’s residence, or a local care home. Some start at the reception venue where mourners will later gather to share memories.
Alternatively, the journey may begin at our Welham Jones funeral home in Tunbridge Wells, where our team of local, family-run funeral directors is ready to provide sensitive, expert guidance. Conveniently located on Crescent Road, our Tunbridge Wells funeral home is a nice, central starting point from which to begin the journey.
“There’s no one way to do things,” says Sam O’Flynn, one of our funeral arrangers for Tunbridge Wells. “We encourage families to think about what places meant the most to their loved one — not just the practical route, but the personal one.”
Meet Sam O’flynn here: https://welhamjones.co.uk/about-us/news/introducing-sam-oflynn-our-tunbridge-wells-funeral-arranger/
Whether it’s a scenic landmark, a favourite park, or a local school, funeral routes in Tunbridge Wells can be tailored to reflect what mattered most to the person who has passed. Common requests include:
As local funeral directors with decades of experience, we know how meaningful it can be to honour someone’s life by passing the places, the people and the memories that shaped them.
“It’s rarely about the big monuments,” says Sam. “It’s about what was personal. I once helped a family plan the funeral of a young boy, and the cortege went past his school. All the children came out and stood along the pavement to wave him off. From the school to the route leading toward the crematorium, people had lined the streets. It was incredibly emotional, but a beautiful farewell.”
The destination of the funeral procession is typically the place of committal. In and around Tunbridge Wells, this may be a crematorium, cemetery, or parish churchyard. Some of the most chosen locations include:
For further help choosing your venue, we recommend speaking to our Tunbridge Wells funeral arranging team or visiting our page on funeral packages and burial options.
We are thrilled to announce that Simon Welham, Managing Director and co-founder of Welham Jones Funeral Directors, has been named Businessperson of the Year 2026 at the Tonbridge Business Awards.
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