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Families of people buried in resting places vulnerable to coastal erosion say that indecision on how best to address the problem is causing them unnecessary distress concerning the final resting places of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Graveyards

The council have identified three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being in danger of being swallowed by the ocean in the next few generations.

A recent report on the issue sets out a series of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and reburying them in more secure locations. Authorities say it is for the community to decide how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in limbo. It upsets me. My parents intended this to be their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate at least part of one graveyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some locals worry it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a school trip to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely 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 the ocean. That is not the case. Individuals will take bones as souvenirs and go plundering graves in search of treasures. That is completely undignified.”

“I’m worried that the same thing that befell at Eccles will happen at Happisburgh and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Peril

Further up the coast lies the burial plot of a former paratrooper who died while serving overseas. His mother expressed she could not sleep after learning her child's final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does trouble me to think this may not remain his permanent resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an significant site to visit.”

In her view, new burials should stop but says it is too soon 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 reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

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

Some are calling for additional sea defences to slow the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to proceed for now. Others argue the time for relocation is approaching.

“It is very emotional,” said one relative. “The official study was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is taken forward. And all parties is washing their hands 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 decide the path to take. We are here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

He added there was ample time to consider all the options. “This concerns many years before it starts to be lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should happen yet. It requires good community discussions to discover the right solutions for each community.”

The possibility of the loss of the churches and graveyards was described as one of “profound sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also referenced a doctrine in life after death, offering a spiritual perspective on the physical loss of sacred ground.