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Loved ones whose relatives buried in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision over how to tackle the issue is causing them unnecessary distress about the final resting places of their loved ones.

An Impending Threat to Historic Graveyards

The council have singled out three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being in danger of being swallowed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the issue sets out a series of options, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure sites. Authorities say it is for local people to determine how to proceed.

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

Estimates indicate at least part of one churchyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Past

A local business owner remembered a school trip to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the water, along with its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that the deceased will just get carried away to the ocean. That is not the case. People will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves in search of valuables. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the same thing that befell at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be skeletons on the beach. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the burial plot 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 relocated.

“It truly disturb me to think this won’t be his permanent resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an important place to go.”

She believes, new interments should cease but says it is premature to disturb existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

The lack of consensus over the timing and method to tackle the problem has left grieving relatives feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families are calling for more coastal protections to delay the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to continue for now. Different voices argue the time for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotive,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was thorough, 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 burial sites were under the care of the local diocese. “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 ample time to weigh all the choices. “We are talking many years before it begins getting lost.”

“There is no common view on what should happen yet. We need good local conversations to find the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The prospect of losing the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the local community,” but church representatives also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a spiritual perspective on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.