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Families whose relatives laid to rest in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that indecision over how to address the problem is causing them unnecessary distress concerning the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Threat to Historic Graveyards

The council have identified three church graveyards in the villages of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being at risk of being swallowed by the sea in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the situation sets out a range of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and reburying them in more secure locations. Authorities maintain it is for the community to decide how to move forward.

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

Estimates suggest at least a portion of one graveyard could fall into the waves in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen much sooner. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner remembered a childhood visit to the nearby village of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the sea, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. People will take bones as souvenirs and go grave robbing looking for valuables. It’s completely undignified.”

“I’m worried that the identical fate that happened at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be skeletons on the beach. I would feel disgusted by that.”

A Soldier's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Along the coast is situated the burial plot of a ex-soldier killed while serving abroad. His mother said she could not sleep after discovering her child's grave might one day be moved.

“It truly trouble me to consider this may not remain his permanent home,” she said. “For us it’s an important place to go.”

She believes, new burials should cease but says it is too soon to exhume current plots. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an early decision needs to be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Seeking Solutions and Clarity

An absence of agreement over the timing and method to tackle the problem has resulted in grieving relatives feeling frustrated and worried.

Some want additional coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to proceed for now. Others argue the moment for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” said one relative. “The council’s report was thorough, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is up to them to choose the path to take. Our role is here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

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

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

The prospect of the loss of the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the area,” but church representatives also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, offering a theological viewpoint on the temporal disappearance of sacred ground.