🔗 Share this article

Families whose relatives buried in graves at risk from coastal erosion say that indecision over how to tackle the problem is causing them avoidable anguish about the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Churchyards

Local authorities have singled out three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being in danger of being swallowed by the sea in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the issue sets out a range of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. They wanted this to serve as their last home, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Estimates suggest at least a portion of one churchyard could fall into the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident remembered a school trip to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the sea, along with its church and graveyard.

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

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

A Soldier's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the coast lies the grave of a former paratrooper who died while serving abroad. His parent said she lost sleep after learning her son’s grave might one day be relocated.

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

She believes, new interments should cease but says it is premature to exhume existing graves. “My preference for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an early decision needs to be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Clarity

The lack of agreement over when and how to handle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

Some are calling for more coastal protections to slow the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to continue for now. Different voices contend the moment for moving graves is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotive,” said one relative. “The council’s report was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is responsible.”

A local official said the burial sites were owned and managed of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is down to them to decide the direction to take. We are here to help support them through that process with communities.”

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

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need productive local conversations to find the right solutions for each community.”

The prospect of the loss of the churches and graveyards was described as one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but faith leaders also referenced a belief in life after death, providing a theological viewpoint on the temporal loss of sacred ground.