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Loved ones whose relatives laid to rest in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion state that a lack of decision on how best to address the problem is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the eternal homes of their departed family.

A Looming Danger to Historic Graveyards

Local authorities have singled out three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being at risk of being consumed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A recent report on the issue sets out a range of possible actions, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and reburying them in safer sites. Officials say it is for local people to determine how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. My parents intended this to serve as their final resting place, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate at least part of one graveyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident remembered a childhood visit to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the water, along with its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. People will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing in search of treasures. It’s completely undignified.”

“I fear that the same thing that befell at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a former paratrooper killed while working abroad. His parent expressed she could not sleep after learning her child's grave might one day be relocated.

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

In her view, new interments should stop but says it is premature to disturb existing graves. “What I would choose 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 Solutions and Certainty

The lack of consensus over when and how to handle the problem has left grieving relatives feeling frustrated and worried.

Several families want additional sea defences to delay the unavoidable loss and to permit funerals to proceed for now. Different voices argue the time for relocation is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” said one relative. “The council’s report was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And all parties is avoiding responsibility 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 choose the direction to take. Our role is here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

He added there was time to weigh all the choices. “We are talking many years before it starts to be lost.”

“There is no common view on what should be done yet. It requires productive local conversations to find the right answers for each community.”

The prospect of losing the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but church representatives also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a spiritual viewpoint on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.