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Families of people buried in resting places at risk from coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision over how to address the problem is causing them unnecessary distress about the eternal homes of their loved ones.

An Impending Threat to Ancient Graveyards

Local authorities have singled out three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being in danger of being engulfed by the sea in the next few generations.

A recent report on the situation details a series of options, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for local people to decide how to move forward.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It upsets me. My parents wanted this to serve as their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Projections suggest at least part of one churchyard could fall into the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen much sooner. “In my view it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner remembered a school trip to the nearby village of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the sea, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that the deceased will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. Individuals will take bones as mementos and go plundering graves in search of valuables. It’s completely undignified.”

“I’m worried that the same thing that befell at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Along the shoreline lies the grave of a ex-soldier who died while working overseas. His parent said she could not sleep after discovering her child's grave might one day be moved.

“It does disturb me to consider this may not remain his permanent home,” she said. “To our family it’s an significant place to go.”

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is premature to disturb existing graves. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an early decision needs to be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Clarity

The lack of consensus over when and how to handle the problem has resulted in grieving relatives feeling frustrated and worried.

Several families want more sea defences to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit burials to proceed for now. Others contend the moment for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotive,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was really good, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And all parties is washing their hands over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were under the care of the local diocese. “In the end it is down to them to decide the path to take. Our role is here to help support them through that process with residents.”

He added there was ample time to weigh all the options. “This concerns many years before it begins getting lost.”

“There is no unified opinion on what should be done yet. It requires productive community discussions to find the right solutions for each community.”

The prospect of losing the historic sites was labeled one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a spiritual perspective on the temporal loss of sacred ground.