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Families of people laid to rest in graves vulnerable to shoreline retreat say that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the issue is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the final resting places of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Historic Graveyards

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

A newly published study on the situation details a range of options, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in more secure sites. Authorities maintain it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

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

Projections indicate at least a portion 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 look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Past

One resident recalled a school trip to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the water, along with its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get carried away to sea. That is not the case. People will collect remains as mementos and go plundering graves in search of valuables. It’s completely undignified.”

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

A Soldier's Resting Place in Peril

Further up the coast lies the burial plot of a former paratrooper who died while serving abroad. His mother expressed she could not sleep after discovering her son’s grave might one day be moved.

“It truly trouble me to consider this won’t be his lasting home,” she said. “To our family it’s an important place to go.”

In her view, new burials should stop but says it is premature to disturb existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an early decision must be made when a tipping point has been attained.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

The lack of agreement over when and how to tackle the problem has left grieving relatives feeling frustrated and worried.

Some want additional coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to proceed for now. Different voices contend the time for relocation is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is implemented. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were under the care of the local diocese. “In the end it is down to them to decide the path to take. We are here to assist them through that journey with residents.”

It was also stated there was ample time to weigh 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 find the appropriate solutions for each village.”

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “profound sadness for the local community,” but church representatives also referenced a doctrine in resurrection, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the physical loss of hallowed earth.