HC Townsend & Son Funeral Directors

18/08/2026

What is important to you in a Funeral Director?

Trust? Transparency? Compliance?

When choosing a Funeral Director to care for your loved one, it's important to look out for accreditation from National Association of Funeral Directors or SAIF independent funeral directors.

Being part of a registered trade body, and being assessed by that trade body, is the only way you can be sure that your Funeral Director is comfortable opening their doors to scrutiny and judgement, and is keeping their practices and facilities up to date and in line with guidelines for best and proper care.

We are always open to anyone wishing to visit or tour our facilities and see how we work, there are no closed doors and no boundaries in place, trust runs deeply through every action we take when caring for the loved ones and families that come into our care, and will continue to do so for many more years to come.

14/08/2026

Well worth a read, the people that work tirelessly in the background to sculpt each and every individual goodbye for people's loved ones.

Maple Park Crematorium at Maple Park and Maple Park Cafe are set in wonderful surroundings, offering modern, light, bright, welcoming facilities and the most dedicated and warm staff around, we feel so fortunate to be able to work with these people and go into each and every funeral day with them knowing that every moment is going to be totally perfect.

When we think about a funeral, we naturally think about the person who has died and the family and friends coming together to say goodbye. What we perhaps don't always see is just how many people are quietly working behind the scenes to make that day happen.A funeral service may last less than an ho...

10/08/2026

What really goes into crafting a special funeral? The perfect goodbye? A service of real distinction?

It's all in the detail.

Introducing Mr Wayne Hattersley, BEM our very own all in one operations specialist, putting his all into driving high standards of care, always going the extra mile to ensure we can provide the absolute best to all of our families.

Wayne was awarded his British Empire Medal for services to the community in Harrogate during the Coronavirus pandemic, due to his dedication to allowing families to have a space to say goodbye to their loved ones in such difficult circumstances, Harrogate was the only Crematorium Chapel within 30 miles to remain open for families for the entirety of the pandemic.

Wayne keeps the wheel of industry turning, and ensures our vehicles, amongst other things, remain visually stunning and turn up to each and every funeral looking at their very best.

Without Wayne, our bearers, our office staff and all others that support us in the background, we wouldn't be able to provide our consistent levels of excellent service to all those that come into our care.

05/08/2026

This week, we reflect on and send our love to the families of people who were affected by the deception of their funeral director.

Being a funeral director is much more than just doffing an old hat and putting on a show, it is a commitment to true and valuable care, a promise to act in the best interests of the families we serve and a duty to ensure people maintain the same quality of existence in death as they did in life.

When my Great Grandad began caring for people's loved ones who had passed away 100 years ago, he committed himself to be a trusted guardian of committed care, something which we have continued and evolved into the present day, being a proud member of the Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) and ensuring we meet the expected standards of compliance and quality to provide the very best to our families.

For the confirmed 31 families who fell victim of their funeral directors betrayal of trust, keep them in your thoughts as you read this poem:

Don’t think of them as gone away
Their journey’s just begun,
Life holds so many facets
This earth is only one.
Just think of them as resting
From the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort
Where there are no days and years.
Think how they must be wishing
That we could know today
How nothing but our sadness
Can really pass away.
And think of them as living
In the hearts of those they touched
For nothing loved is ever lost
And they were loved so much.

To join the fight for justice alongside families affected by this, please feel free to consider signing the following petition to encourage full regulation across all funeral directors, supported by the National Association of Funeral Directors.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767402?utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demonfvlulqv&fbclid=IwY2xjawTgJlBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF3b1NJdWt3aDZUbWVWZTY0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrabhNcl4YtQjTETMk4ZvVWNMVTtbkcUfNI_gXDdHmRhG33k_4cllHqRRoaF_aem_DFS8p6_VWHwJzAYPMbq4UA -content

13/05/2026

The Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors has provided us with this short video, providing a case study from a family who found themselves negatively impacted due to a poor experience with a funeral provider.

Choosing a local independent funeral director with flexibility, experience and a willingness to make a difference in such a difficult time gives you the chance to say goodbye in your own individual way.

A life well lived and a life well loved deserves more than a cold, transactional process full of barriers and limitations.

01/05/2026

What does Handled With Care mean?

What does it mean to you?

What does it mean to your loved one?

The Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors has provided us with this short video, depicting the essence of what it truly means to be an independent, family funeral director.

Care is not something that can be shown through pushing ultra low cost funerals, transporting people hundreds of miles away from their homes after passing away, or by trying to communicate with people from an unknown call centre.

To me, care is treating people, both those who come into our care and those left behind, with the utmost respect and dignity.

To me, care is delivering the same level of excellent service that my Great-Grandfather first started to deliver almost 100 years ago.

To me, care is ensuring that no matter what, we abandon the pressures and fears surrounding funerals to truly give the most fitting goodbye to every cherished life.

Your loved one deserves more than the loneliness and emptiness that comes with certain funeral operators.

We are here for you, and will be here for many, many years to come.

We will serve our community the same way that we have done since 1927, with an ever evolving skills-set and a true passion to make a difference for you.

19/12/2025

Our Christmas tree competition entries into St Johns Church, Knaresborough, St James Boroughbridge and All Saints' Church, Spofforth, North Yorkshire for the year have all recieved an enormous amount of love.

We greatly appreciate everyone who took their time to add their memories of their loved ones to each of our trees, and are delighted to play a part in the togetherness of the festive season.

The Christmas tree competition at St Johns Church, Knaresborough is still running until 21/12/25 for anyone who would like to attend and add their memory. 🎄

Warmest wishes for this Holiday season from all of us at H C Townsend & Son Ltd

03/12/2023

A productive day at St Johns Church, Knaresborough for their annual Christmas tree decoration display.

This was our first year entering a tree for this special event and we have to say we’re quite proud of our effort🎄

We would like to thank everyone who has added a memory of their loved one on our memory tree. The Christmas Tree festival is on again today 10-3 at St. James Church Boroughbridge. There are over 30 trees on display there along with refreshments, tombola and raffle.

18/02/2022

🚨BIG NEWS ALERT🚨

For the first time in 95 years, HC Townsend & Son Funeral Directors are expanding! We have just erected the signs on our new office, located in Boroughbridge.

Our new office, located on Back Lane in Boroughbridge, will be open to visits by appointment only. We hope to continue to provide the people of Boroughbridge and the surrounding areas with our excellent care and services for many years to come.

Ann Townsend (nee Faulkner) lived in Boroughbridge from a young age, and was married to David at Boroughbridge Methodist Church. From this connection, we have remained very close and familiar with the area and still maintain strong relations with many local people.

Take a look at our website for some further updates, and find our contact info https://www.hctownsend.co.uk/

04/06/2021

The well known local funeral director David Townsend has just celebrated forty years in the family business. The business was founded in 1927 by David’s grandfather Henry Claude Townsend, continued by David’s father Brian, and then David himself. Last year David’s son Alex joined the firm after university. Four generations of Townsends proudly carrying on the business.

The Reverend David Hoskins presented David with a watch from his wife Ann at a celebration of his forty years in the family business. He said that David has all the qualities needed in a great funeral director, and that a family business has lots to recommend it in days when national companies dominate the scene.

David says he is not ready to retire and feels he still has a lot to give to bereaved families in the area.

The photograph shows David being presented with his watch and a hamper to commemorate 40 years of work well done.