27 January 2023 , 12:52
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Cheltenham fanatics have been given the opportunity to make the home of jump racing their final resting place by having their ashes stored in a special wall, for a cost of £5,000.
Booking opened this week exclusively to Cheltenham annual members who want to reserve one of the 800 spaces, known as ‘niches’, which will be available in the Cheltenham Columbarium Wall.
Other racegoers, owners, trainers and jockeys will be able to secure a slot after the end of the Cheltenham Festival in March, on a first come, first served basis.
To be built in conjunction with experts Spirit of Sport, the wall will be the first of its kind on a major racecourse when it is completed in May.
It will be situated at the entrance to the racecourse near the Centaur Bridge where it can be visited all year round.
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Columbarium walls date back to Roman times when they comprised niches, into which urns were inserted. At Cheltenham these will be closed off with a granite frontispiece bearing the occupant’s name and age and the date of their passing.
An artist's impression of the columbarium wall as it will look at Cheltenham (the jockey club via Jon Lees)Anyone will be allowed to reserve their niche before their own death, while the facility will also be available to those who already have the ashes of their loved ones safely stored.
An inurnment ceremony will take place to insert the urn into its own niche, while an inurnment day - a separate dedicated occasion - will give friends and family the opportunity to visit the Cheltenham Columbarium Wall and raise a glass in their memory.
The niches are available on a 30-year lease and at the end of the lease ashes will be buried underneath the racecourse.
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