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Loved ones whose relatives buried in resting places at risk from coastal erosion state that a lack of decision over how to address the problem is creating unnecessary distress about the final resting places of their loved ones.

A Looming Danger to Ancient Churchyards

The council have identified three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being at risk of being engulfed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the issue details a series of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and reburying them in safer locations. Officials say it is for local people to determine how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. They wanted this to be 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 sea in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner remembered a school trip to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the water, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that the deceased will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. People will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for treasures. That is completely undignified.”

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

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the shoreline lies 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 truly trouble me to think this may not remain his permanent resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an significant place to go.”

She believes, new burials should stop but says it is too soon to disturb current plots. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an early decision must be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Searching for Solutions and Certainty

An absence of agreement over the timing and method to handle the problem has left bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

Some are calling for more sea defences to slow the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to continue for now. Different voices argue the time for moving graves is drawing near.

“It is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And all parties is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A local official confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the local diocese. “In the end it is up to them to decide the path to take. We are here to help support them through that process with residents.”

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

“Currently, there exists no common view on what should happen yet. We need good community discussions to discover the appropriate solutions for each village.”

The prospect of the loss of the churches and graveyards was described as one of “profound sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a belief in life after death, providing a theological viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.