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

An Impending Danger to Ancient Churchyards

The council have singled out three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being engulfed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the issue sets out a series of possible actions, from taking no action to exhuming remains and relocating them in more secure locations. Authorities maintain it is for the community to determine how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in limbo. It upsets me. My parents intended this to serve as their last home, but it won't 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 fear it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got under 20 years, if you look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the neighbouring village of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the water, including its church and graveyard.

“You could see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea 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 same thing that befell at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be bones on the beach. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Soldier's Grave in Jeopardy

Along the coast is situated the burial plot of a ex-soldier who died while serving abroad. His parent said she could not sleep after discovering her son’s final plot might one day be relocated.

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

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to disturb current plots. “My preference for now is to do nothing and watch carefully, but an early decision must be made when a tipping point has been attained.”

Seeking Answers and Clarity

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

Some are calling for more sea defences to delay the unavoidable loss and to permit funerals to continue for now. Others argue the moment for relocation is approaching.

“It is very emotive,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is taken forward. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager said the burial sites were under the care of the local diocese. “Ultimately 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 many years before it starts to be lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should happen yet. It requires productive community discussions to discover the right answers for each village.”

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “profound sadness for the local community,” but faith leaders also referenced a doctrine in life after death, offering a theological viewpoint on the physical disappearance of sacred ground.