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Loved ones whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion state that a lack of decision over how to address the problem is creating avoidable anguish about the eternal homes of their loved ones.

A Looming Threat to Historic Graveyards

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

A recent report on the issue details a series of possible actions, from taking no action to exhuming remains and relocating them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for local people to determine how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It upsets me. My parents intended this to be their last home, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate at least part of one graveyard could fall into the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen far earlier. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident remembered a childhood visit to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished 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 mementos and go grave robbing in search of treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

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

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Further up the coast lies the burial plot of a ex-soldier who died while serving overseas. His parent said she could not sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does trouble me to consider this won’t be his permanent resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an important site to visit.”

In her view, new burials should cease but says it is premature to exhume existing graves. “My preference for now is to do nothing and watch carefully, but an timely resolution must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Searching for Answers and Clarity

The lack of consensus over when and how to tackle the problem has resulted in grieving relatives feeling exasperated and anxious.

Some are calling for more coastal protections to slow the unavoidable loss and to allow funerals to proceed for now. Different voices argue the moment for relocation is drawing near.

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

A coastal manager confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the local diocese. “In the end it is down to them to choose the direction to take. Our role is here to assist them through that journey with residents.”

It was also stated there was ample time to consider all the options. “This concerns decades before it begins getting lost.”

“There is no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need good community discussions to find the right answers for each community.”

The possibility of losing the churches and graveyards was described as one of “immense sorrow for the area,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a theological perspective on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.