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Families of people buried in graves at risk from coastal erosion state that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the problem is causing them avoidable anguish about the final resting places of their loved ones.

A Looming Danger to Ancient Graveyards

Local authorities have singled out three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being at risk of being engulfed by the sea in the coming decades.

A recent report on the issue sets out a series of options, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure locations. Authorities say it is for the community to decide how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It upsets me. They wanted this to be their last home, but it won't be because of the encroaching sea.”

Projections suggest at least part of one graveyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner remembered a school trip to the neighbouring village of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the water, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get carried away to sea. They won’t. People will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing in search of treasures. That is completely undignified.”

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

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Peril

Further up the shoreline is situated the grave of a ex-soldier who died while working abroad. His parent said she could not sleep after learning her child's grave might one day be moved.

“It truly disturb me to consider this won’t be his lasting home,” she said. “For us it’s an significant site to visit.”

In her view, new burials should cease but says it is too soon to disturb existing graves. “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 Solutions and Certainty

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

Some want additional coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit burials to proceed for now. Others contend the moment for relocation is drawing near.

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

A local official confirmed the graveyards were owned and managed of the church authorities. “In the end it is up to them to decide the direction to take. Our role is here to help support them through that process with residents.”

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

“There is no common view on what should be done yet. We need good local conversations to find the right solutions for each community.”

The prospect of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “profound sadness for the area,” but church representatives also spoke of a belief in life after death, offering a spiritual perspective on the physical disappearance of sacred ground.