🔗 Share this article

Families whose relatives laid to rest in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion state that a lack of decision over how 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 singled out three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being consumed by the ocean in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the situation details a range of options, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure locations. Authorities maintain it is for the community to determine how to proceed.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It upsets me. My parents wanted this to be their final resting place, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates suggest at least a portion of one graveyard could fall into the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen much sooner. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Past

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the neighbouring village of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the sea, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that the deceased will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. Individuals will collect remains as souvenirs and go grave robbing looking for valuables. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the same thing that happened at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Soldier's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a ex-soldier killed while working abroad. His mother said she could not sleep after discovering her child's grave might one day be moved.

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

She believes, new burials should cease but says it is too soon to exhume existing graves. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an early decision must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Clarity

The lack of agreement over the timing and method to handle the problem has left bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families want additional coastal protections to slow the unavoidable loss and to allow burials to proceed for now. Others contend the time for relocation is drawing near.

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

A local official said the burial sites were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is up to them to choose the direction to take. Our role is here to assist them through that process with residents.”

He added there was time to weigh all the choices. “This concerns decades before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need good local conversations to find the appropriate answers for each village.”

The possibility of the loss of the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also referenced a doctrine in life after death, providing a theological viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.