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Families whose relatives laid to rest in resting places vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision on how best to address the problem is creating avoidable anguish about the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Graveyards

Local authorities have singled out three church graveyards in the communities 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 details a series of options, from doing nothing to exhuming remains and reburying them in safer sites. Officials maintain it is for the community to decide how to move forward.

“Right now 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 encroaching sea.”

Estimates suggest at least part of one churchyard could fall into the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen much sooner. “In my view it’s got less than 20 years, if you look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a school trip to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the sea, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get carried away to the ocean. They won’t. People will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for treasures. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the identical fate that befell at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Peril

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a ex-soldier who died while working overseas. His mother said she lost sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does disturb me to think this won’t be 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 existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Clarity

An absence of agreement over the timing and method to handle the challenge has resulted in grieving relatives feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some are calling for more coastal protections to slow the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to proceed for now. Different voices contend the time for moving graves is approaching.

“It is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The official study was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is up to them to choose the path to take. We are here to help support them through that process with communities.”

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

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

The possibility of the loss of the churches and graveyards was described as one of “immense sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in life after death, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.