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Families of people buried in graves vulnerable to shoreline retreat argue that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the problem is causing them unnecessary distress concerning the eternal homes of their loved ones.

A Looming Threat to Historic Churchyards

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

A recent report on the issue details a range of possible actions, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and relocating them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for the community to decide how to proceed.

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

Estimates indicate at least part of one churchyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen much sooner. “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

One resident remembered a school trip to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the water, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get washed out to sea. They won’t. People will collect remains as souvenirs and go grave robbing in search of valuables. It’s completely undignified.”

“I fear that the same thing that befell at Eccles will happen at Happisburgh and there’ll be bones on the beach. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Along the shoreline is situated the grave of a ex-soldier killed while serving abroad. His parent expressed she lost sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be relocated.

“It truly disturb me to think this won’t be his permanent home,” she said. “For us it’s an important site to visit.”

In her view, new interments should cease but says it is premature to exhume existing graves. “My preference for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an early decision must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Searching for Answers and Clarity

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

Several families are calling for more coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit burials to proceed for now. Different voices contend the moment for relocation is approaching.

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

A local official said the burial sites were owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is up 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 many years before it starts to be lost.”

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

The possibility of losing the churches and graveyards was described as one of “profound sadness for the area,” but church representatives also referenced a doctrine in resurrection, providing a spiritual perspective on the temporal loss of sacred ground.