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Families of people buried in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion say that indecision on how best to address the issue is creating unnecessary distress concerning the eternal homes of their departed family.

A Looming Threat to Ancient Graveyards

The council have identified three burial grounds 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 situation sets out a series of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating 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. They intended this to be their last home, but it isn’t going to be because of the encroaching sea.”

Projections 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 much sooner. “I think it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Past

One resident remembered a childhood visit to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the sea, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that the deceased will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. Individuals will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for valuables. It’s completely disrespectful.”

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

A Soldier's Grave in Jeopardy

Along the shoreline lies the grave of a former paratrooper killed while working overseas. His parent expressed she could not sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be moved.

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

In her view, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to disturb existing graves. “My preference for now is to do nothing and watch carefully, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Searching for Answers and Certainty

The lack of consensus over the timing and method to tackle the challenge has left grieving relatives feeling frustrated and anxious.

Several families want additional sea defences to delay the inevitable erosion and to allow funerals to continue for now. Different voices contend the moment for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is down to them to choose the path to take. Our role is here to help support them through that journey with residents.”

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

“Currently, there exists no common view on what should be done yet. We need good community discussions to find the right solutions for each village.”

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the area,” but church representatives also spoke of a doctrine in life after death, offering a theological perspective on the physical loss of sacred ground.