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Loved ones whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion say that indecision over how to tackle the problem is creating unnecessary distress concerning the eternal homes of their departed family.

A Looming Threat to Ancient Churchyards

Local authorities have identified three burial grounds 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 details a series of possible actions, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and relocating them in safer locations. Officials say it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. My parents wanted this to be their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the encroaching sea.”

Projections suggest 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 far earlier. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner remembered a school trip to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the sea, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that people’s remains 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 treasures. It’s completely undignified.”

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

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Along the coast lies the grave of a former paratrooper who died while serving overseas. His mother expressed she could not sleep after discovering her child's grave might one day be moved.

“It does disturb me to consider this won’t be his permanent home,” she said. “For us it’s an significant place to go.”

In her view, new burials should cease but says it is premature to exhume current plots. “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 reached.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

The lack of consensus over the timing and method to tackle the challenge has resulted in grieving relatives feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some are calling for additional sea defences to slow the inevitable erosion and to allow funerals to continue for now. Others contend the time for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” said one relative. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is implemented. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager said the burial sites 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 time to consider all the options. “This concerns decades before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no common view on what should be done yet. We need good local conversations to discover the right answers for each community.”

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