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Families of people buried in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that indecision over how to address the issue is creating avoidable anguish about the final resting places of their departed family.

A Looming Danger to Ancient Graveyards

The council have singled out three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being at risk of being engulfed by the sea in the next few generations.

A recent report on the issue sets out a range of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and reburying them in more secure locations. Authorities say it is for the community to decide how to proceed.

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

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

Haunted by the Past

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the sea, including 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 carried away to the ocean. They won’t. People will take bones as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for valuables. It’s completely undignified.”

“I’m worried that the identical fate that befell at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Soldier's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Along the shoreline is situated the grave of a ex-soldier who died while serving abroad. His mother expressed she could not sleep after learning her child's grave might one day be relocated.

“It truly trouble me to consider this won’t be his permanent resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an important place to go.”

She believes, new burials should stop but says it is too soon to exhume current plots. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Searching for Solutions and Certainty

The lack of agreement over the timing and method to tackle the challenge has resulted in bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

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

“The situation is very emotive,” said one relative. “The official study was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And everybody is washing their hands over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is down 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 consider all the choices. “We are talking decades before it begins getting lost.”

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

The prospect of the loss of the churches and graveyards was described as one of “immense sadness for the area,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a spiritual perspective on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.