W S Gayton & Son Funeral Directors Ltd
We are an independent family owned and run funeral service. We lived at, and traded from, our same site in Bickington from 1910 until we relocated to Pickett Meadow, Fremington in the summer of 2021.
We will help, guide and support you through every part of arranging the funeral Service. We will do as much or as little as you require us to do. Our services are available 24 hours a day.
W S Gayton & Son Ltd is a Member of SAIF – ‘The National Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors’
Proprietors: A W J Gayton, D W Gayton, J E Gayton.
Our History
The business spans five generations and was established in 1910 by William Samuel Gayton and his wife Elizabeth. William was, at that time, the Village Undertaker, Carpenter and Wheelwright.
The business was then taken over by his son, Archibald John Gayton and his wife Lilian. Their eldest son Arthur William (John) and his wife Maureen took over the business when Archibald retired.
William Samuel Gayton
Archibald John Gayton
By 1985 John and Maureen’s son David William had joined the business. In 1998 their daughter Jane Elizabeth became involved, studying and gaining a DIP. FD (Diploma in Funeral Directing from the National Association of Funeral Directors (N.A.F.D.)).
David married Liz in 2005 and they have two children, Henry and Lucie. Jane married Marlon in 2007 and they have a daughter, Ruby.
The business is currently run by David and Jane Gayton. The Funeral Directors are David and Jane, Martyn Street, who has been part of the team since 2000, Jack Cornell (David’s step-son) who started in 2010 and Tom Duggan who joined in 2023.
Taking care of the administration are Emily Reed – David’s step-daughter, Kaye Wilton, Danielle Tubbs and Katie Wells.
Nigel Dawson and Andy Ford are responsible for looking after our Chapel and vehicles.
Pickett Meadow
Throughout our 110 year history we have had the privilege of tending to the needs of many generations of local families.
Pickett Meadow is a purpose built funeral home within Fremington which provides an exceptional location for the ongoing provision of services to families at the highest standard.
Our landscaped grounds offer privacy and a calm green space for families to reflect in nature.
There is still a family home within its grounds.
Funeral Plans
A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance. A plan allows you to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. As customers often tell us, that can bring peace of mind to you and your family. A plan from Golden Charter also includes an allowance towards third party costs. These are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service. The value of the allowance included in your plan may grow over time. There will only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if the third party costs exceed the allowance when you buy your plan, or if the costs increase by more than the growth of your plan.
At W S Gayton & Son Ltd, we work in partnership with Golden Charter to provide you with a simple way to plan ahead. As one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers*, Golden Charter has helped 900,000 people make funeral provisions** so we’re completely confident in offering their plans to you.
Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans we offer are as flexible as possible. When you get in touch, we’ll be happy to discuss your funeral requirements and tailor a plan to suit you. Rest assured a plan from Golden Charter is available to all UK residents, regardless of age or state of health.
Would you like to know more information about how a Golden Charter funeral plan could work for you? We can provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision for you and your family, so get in touch today!
*Based on a Golden Charter analysis and independent research of the funeral plan market size as at January 2023.
**Correct at March 2023
W S Gayton & Son Ltd is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).
