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

An Impending Threat to Historic Graveyards

Local authorities have singled out three church graveyards in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being at risk of being swallowed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the situation sets out a series of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and relocating them in more secure locations. Authorities say it is for the community to determine how to proceed.

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

Projections 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 less than 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a school trip to the neighbouring village of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the sea, along with its church and graveyard.

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that the deceased will just get carried away to sea. They won’t. Individuals will take bones as mementos and go grave robbing looking for valuables. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the identical fate that happened at Eccles will occur at Happisburgh and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Soldier's Resting Place in Peril

Along the shoreline is situated the grave of a ex-soldier killed while serving abroad. His mother said she lost sleep after learning her son’s final plot might one day be moved.

“It does trouble me to think this won’t be his lasting home,” she said. “For us it’s an significant site to visit.”

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to exhume existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution must be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

The lack of agreement over when and how to tackle the challenge has left bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families are calling for additional sea defences to slow the unavoidable loss and to permit funerals to continue for now. Others argue the moment for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotive,” a family member stated. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A local official confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is down to them to decide the direction to take. We are here to help support them through that journey with residents.”

It was also stated there was time to weigh all the choices. “We are talking many years before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should happen yet. We need good community discussions to find the right answers for each community.”

The prospect of losing the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the area,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in life after death, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.