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Families whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion say that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the problem is creating unnecessary distress concerning the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Threat to Historic Churchyards

Local authorities have identified three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being at risk of being swallowed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A recent report on the issue details a range of possible actions, from doing nothing to exhuming remains and relocating them in safer sites. Authorities say it is for local people to determine how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in limbo. It causes me distress. They intended this to be their last home, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate at least part of one graveyard could fall into the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner remembered a childhood visit to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the water, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get washed out to sea. They won’t. People will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing in search of treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

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

A Soldier's Grave in Jeopardy

Along the coast is situated the grave of a ex-soldier killed while working overseas. His mother said she lost sleep after learning her son’s final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does disturb me to consider this may not remain 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 exhume existing graves. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution must be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Certainty

The lack of consensus over when and how to handle the challenge has left bereaved families feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some are calling for additional sea defences to delay the inevitable erosion and to allow funerals to continue for now. Others contend the moment for moving graves is approaching.

“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 everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is responsible.”

A local official said the graveyards were owned and managed of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is up to them to choose the direction to take. Our role is here to help support them through that process with communities.”

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

“There is no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need productive community discussions to find the appropriate answers for each community.”

The possibility of losing the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a belief in life after death, providing a spiritual viewpoint on the temporal loss of sacred ground.