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Loved ones of people buried in resting places at risk from shoreline retreat say that indecision on how best to tackle the problem is creating avoidable anguish about the eternal homes of their loved ones.

A Looming Danger to Historic Graveyards

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

A recent report on the issue details a series of possible actions, from taking no action to exhuming remains and reburying them in safer locations. Authorities say it is for local people to decide how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in limbo. It causes me distress. My parents intended this to serve as their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Estimates suggest at least a portion of one graveyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen much sooner. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Troubled by the Past

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

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that the deceased will just get carried away to the ocean. They won’t. People will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing in search of valuables. That is completely undignified.”

“I fear that the same thing that happened at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be skeletons on the beach. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Along the coast is situated the burial plot of a former paratrooper killed while serving overseas. His parent said she lost sleep after learning her child's final plot might one day be relocated.

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

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

Seeking Answers and Clarity

The lack of agreement over when and how to tackle the challenge has resulted in bereaved families feeling exasperated and anxious.

Several families want more sea defences to slow the unavoidable loss and to permit funerals to proceed for now. Others contend the time for moving graves is approaching.

“The situation is very emotive,” a family member stated. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is responsible.”

A local official confirmed the burial sites were owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is up to them to decide the path to take. We are here to help support them through that process with residents.”

He added there was time to weigh all the choices. “We are talking decades before it begins getting lost.”

“There is no common view on what should happen yet. It requires productive local conversations to find the appropriate solutions for each village.”

The prospect of losing the historic sites was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the area,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a spiritual perspective on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.