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Loved ones of people laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision over how to address the issue is causing them unnecessary distress concerning the final resting places of their loved ones.

A Looming Danger to Historic Churchyards

Local authorities have singled out three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being swallowed by the ocean in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the issue details a range of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in more secure locations. Officials say it is for local people to decide how to proceed.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It causes me distress. My parents wanted this to be their last home, but it won't be because of the encroaching sea.”

Projections suggest at least a portion of one graveyard could fall into the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Past

One resident recalled a school trip to the nearby village of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the water, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that the deceased will just get washed out to the ocean. They won’t. Individuals will take bones as mementos and go grave robbing in search of valuables. That is completely undignified.”

“I fear that the same thing that happened at Eccles will occur at Happisburgh and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Peril

Further up the coast lies the grave of a former paratrooper killed while serving abroad. His parent said she could not sleep after discovering her child's grave might one day be moved.

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

She believes, new interments should cease but says it is too soon to disturb current plots. “My preference for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an early decision must be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

The lack of consensus over when and how to tackle the challenge has left grieving relatives feeling exasperated and anxious.

Some want additional coastal protections to delay the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to proceed for now. Different voices argue the moment for relocation is approaching.

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

A coastal manager said the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is up to them to choose the direction to take. We are here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

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

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

The possibility of losing the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sadness for the area,” but faith leaders also spoke of a belief in resurrection, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.