🔗 Share this article

Families of people buried in resting places vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that indecision over how to address the issue is causing them unnecessary distress concerning the eternal homes of their loved ones.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Churchyards

The council have singled out three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being in danger of being consumed 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 locations. Officials say it is for local people to decide how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. They intended this to serve as 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 worry it will happen far earlier. “I think it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Past

One resident recalled a school trip to the neighbouring village of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the water, along with its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. People will take bones as mementos and go plundering graves looking for treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the same thing that befell at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be bones on the beach. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Soldier's Grave in Peril

Along the coast lies the burial plot of a former paratrooper killed while serving abroad. His parent said she lost sleep after learning her son’s grave might one day be moved.

“It truly trouble me to consider this won’t be his lasting resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an significant site to visit.”

In her view, new interments should stop but says it is premature to disturb existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a tipping point 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 anxious.

Some are calling for more coastal protections to delay the unavoidable loss and to allow burials to continue for now. Different voices argue the moment for relocation is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotive,” said one relative. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And all parties is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is up to them to decide the direction to take. We are here to assist them through that journey with communities.”

It was also stated there was time to consider all the options. “We are talking many years before it begins getting lost.”

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

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a theological viewpoint on the physical disappearance of sacred ground.