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Families of people buried in resting places at risk from coastal erosion state that indecision on how best to tackle the problem is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Churchyards

Local authorities have identified three church graveyards in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being swallowed by the ocean in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the situation sets out a series of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in more secure locations. Officials say it is for the community to decide how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It causes me distress. My parents wanted this to be their last home, but it won't be because of the encroaching sea.”

Estimates indicate at least a portion of one graveyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the nearby village of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the water, including 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 sea. That is not the case. Individuals will take bones as souvenirs and go plundering graves in search of treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the identical fate that befell at Eccles will occur at Happisburgh and there’ll be skeletons on the beach. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Peril

Along the coast is situated the burial plot of a former paratrooper killed while serving overseas. His mother said she could not sleep after learning her child's final plot might one day be moved.

“It truly disturb me to consider this may not remain his permanent resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an significant site to visit.”

She believes, new interments should cease but says it is too soon to exhume current plots. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

The lack of consensus over the timing and method to tackle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families want additional coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to proceed for now. Others contend the time for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotive,” said one relative. “The official study was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is taken forward. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A local official confirmed the burial sites were owned and managed of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is up to them to decide the path to take. Our role is here to assist them through that process with communities.”

He added there was time to consider all the choices. “This concerns decades before it starts to be lost.”

“There is no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need productive community discussions to discover the right solutions for each village.”

The prospect of losing the historic sites was described as one of “profound sorrow for the area,” but faith leaders also referenced a doctrine in resurrection, offering a theological perspective on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.