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Loved ones of people laid to rest in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision on how best to address the problem is causing them avoidable anguish about the eternal homes of their loved ones.

An Impending Danger to Historic Graveyards

Local authorities have identified three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being consumed by the sea in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the situation details a range of possible actions, from doing nothing to exhuming remains and reburying them in more secure locations. Authorities maintain it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It upsets me. They wanted 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 be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

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

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that the deceased will just get carried away to the ocean. That is not the case. People will collect remains as mementos and go plundering graves looking for treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

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

A Soldier's Grave in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a ex-soldier who died while working abroad. His parent said she could not sleep after learning her child's grave might one day be relocated.

“It does trouble me to consider this may not remain his permanent home,” she said. “To our family it’s an important place to go.”

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to exhume existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an timely resolution must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Searching for Solutions and Certainty

An absence of agreement over when and how to handle the problem has resulted in grieving relatives feeling exasperated and worried.

Some are calling for more sea defences to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit funerals to continue for now. Others contend the time for moving graves is approaching.

“It is very emotive,” said one relative. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A local official said the burial sites were under the care of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is down to them to decide the path to take. We are here to help support them through that process with communities.”

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

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

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “profound sorrow for the area,” but church representatives also spoke of a belief in life after death, providing a spiritual viewpoint on the physical loss of hallowed earth.