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Loved ones whose relatives buried in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision over how to address the issue is causing them unnecessary distress about the final resting places of their loved ones.

An Impending Danger to Historic Graveyards

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

A recent report on the situation sets out a series of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for local people to determine how to move forward.

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

Estimates indicate at least part of one graveyard could be claimed by the waves 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 look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Past

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the sea, along with its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that the deceased will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. People will collect remains as mementos and go plundering graves in search of valuables. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the identical fate that befell at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Soldier's Grave in Peril

Along the shoreline lies the grave of a ex-soldier who died while working abroad. His parent said she lost sleep after learning her child's final plot might one day be moved.

“It does trouble me to think this may not remain his permanent home,” she said. “For us 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 do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Searching for Answers and Clarity

An absence of consensus over when and how to handle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

Some want additional sea defences to slow the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to continue for now. Different voices contend the time for moving graves 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 washing their hands over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager said the burial sites were under the care of the local diocese. “In the end it is up to them to choose the path to take. We are here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

It was also stated there was ample time to weigh all the options. “We are talking decades before it starts to be lost.”

“There is no unified opinion on what should happen yet. It requires good local conversations to discover the right solutions for each village.”

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but church representatives also referenced a belief in resurrection, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the physical loss of sacred ground.