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Loved ones of people buried in resting places at risk from coastal erosion argue that indecision on how best to tackle the issue is creating unnecessary distress about the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Graveyards

Local authorities have identified three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being engulfed by the ocean in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the issue sets out a range of options, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure locations. Authorities say it is for local people to decide how to move forward.

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

Projections indicate at least a portion of one churchyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen far earlier. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Past

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

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get carried away to the ocean. That is not the case. Individuals will take bones as souvenirs and go grave robbing in search of treasures. It’s completely undignified.”

“I fear that the same thing that befell at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the shoreline lies the grave of a former paratrooper who died while working abroad. His mother said she could not sleep after learning her child's grave might one day be relocated.

“It truly disturb me to think this may not remain his lasting resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an significant place to go.”

In her view, new burials should stop but says it is premature to disturb current plots. “My preference for now is to do nothing and watch carefully, but an early decision must be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Certainty

An absence of agreement over the timing and method to tackle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some want more coastal protections to slow the inevitable erosion and to permit burials to continue for now. Others argue the time for relocation is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotive,” a family member stated. “The official study was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And all parties is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A local official said the burial sites were owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is down to them to choose the path to take. Our role is here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

He added there was ample time to consider all the options. “We are talking many years before it starts to be lost.”

“There is no common view on what should be done yet. It requires good local conversations to find the right solutions for each village.”

The prospect of losing the churches and graveyards was described as one of “profound sorrow for the area,” but faith leaders also referenced a belief in life after death, providing a spiritual viewpoint on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.