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Families whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion argue that indecision on how best to address the issue is causing them unnecessary distress about the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Churchyards

The council have singled out three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being at risk of being consumed by the sea in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the situation sets out a range of possible actions, from doing nothing to exhuming remains and relocating them in more secure locations. Officials maintain it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It upsets me. My parents intended this to serve as their last home, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Projections indicate at least part of one graveyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a school trip to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the water, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that the deceased will just get carried away to the ocean. They won’t. People will collect remains as mementos and go plundering graves looking for treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the same thing that befell at Eccles will happen at Happisburgh and there’ll be bones on the beach. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Peril

Further up the coast lies the grave of a ex-soldier killed while working overseas. His mother expressed she could not sleep after discovering her child's final plot 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 important site to visit.”

In her view, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to exhume 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 attained.”

Seeking Solutions and Clarity

The lack of consensus over when and how to handle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some are calling for more sea defences to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit burials to proceed for now. Others contend the moment for relocation is approaching.

“It is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The official study was really good, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And everybody is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A local official confirmed the graveyards were owned and managed of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is up to them to choose the direction to take. Our role is here to help support them through that process with residents.”

It was also stated there was time to consider all the choices. “This concerns decades before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no common view on what should be done yet. It requires good local conversations to discover the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but church representatives also referenced a doctrine in life after death, offering a theological perspective on the physical loss of hallowed earth.