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Families of people buried in resting places vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision over how to tackle the issue is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the final resting places of their departed family.

A Looming Threat to Ancient Churchyards

The council have singled out 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 recent report on the issue details a range of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and relocating them in more secure sites. Officials maintain it is for the community to decide how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It upsets me. My parents intended this to be their last home, but it isn’t going to 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. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner recalled a childhood visit to the neighbouring village of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the sea, along with its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that the deceased will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. Individuals will take bones 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 happen here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I would feel disgusted by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Along the shoreline is situated the burial plot of a former paratrooper killed while serving overseas. His mother said she lost sleep after discovering her son’s grave might one day be moved.

“It does trouble me to think this may not remain his permanent resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an important place to go.”

In her view, new burials should cease but says it is too soon to disturb current plots. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an timely resolution must be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Certainty

The lack of consensus over when and how to tackle the challenge has resulted in grieving relatives feeling frustrated and worried.

Some are calling for additional sea defences to slow the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to proceed for now. Different voices contend the moment for moving graves is approaching.

“It is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is implemented. And all parties is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A local official confirmed the graveyards were owned and managed 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 ample time to weigh all the choices. “This concerns decades before it begins getting lost.”

“There is no common view on what should be done yet. It requires good community discussions to discover the right answers for each community.”

The possibility of the loss of 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 perspective on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.