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Loved ones of people buried in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion say that a lack of decision over how to address the problem is causing them unnecessary distress concerning the eternal homes of their departed family.

A Looming Threat to Ancient Graveyards

Local authorities have singled out three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being swallowed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the situation details a series of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in safer locations. Authorities say it is for local people to decide how to proceed.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It upsets me. They wanted this to serve as their last home, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate at least a portion of one churchyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Past

One resident remembered a childhood visit to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the water, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. Individuals will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for valuables. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the identical fate that happened at Eccles will happen at Happisburgh and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the shoreline is situated the grave of a ex-soldier killed while serving abroad. His mother expressed she could not sleep after learning her child's final plot might one day be moved.

“It truly trouble me to consider this may not remain his lasting resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an significant site to visit.”

In her view, new interments should cease but says it is too soon to exhume existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

An absence of consensus over the timing and method to handle the problem has resulted in grieving relatives feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families are calling for additional sea defences to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit burials to proceed for now. Different voices argue the moment for moving graves is approaching.

“It is very emotional,” said one relative. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is implemented. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is up to them to decide the path to take. Our role is here to assist them through that process with communities.”

It was also stated there was time to consider all the options. “This concerns many years before it starts to be lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need productive community discussions to discover the right solutions for each village.”

The prospect of the loss of the churches and graveyards was described as one of “profound sorrow for the area,” but church representatives also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a theological viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.