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Loved ones of people laid to rest in resting places vulnerable to coastal erosion say that indecision on how best to address the problem is causing them unnecessary distress about the eternal homes of their departed family.

A Looming Threat to Ancient Graveyards

The council have singled out three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being engulfed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the issue sets out a series of options, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for local people to decide how to move forward.

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

Estimates suggest at least a portion of one churchyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen far earlier. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the sea, including its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that the deceased will just get carried away to sea. That is not the case. People will take bones as mementos and go plundering graves looking for valuables. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the same thing that befell at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Soldier's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the burial plot of a ex-soldier killed while working overseas. His mother said she could not sleep after learning her son’s grave might one day be moved.

“It does disturb me to think this won’t be his lasting home,” she said. “To our family it’s an significant site to visit.”

In her view, new interments should stop but says it is premature to disturb existing graves. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a tipping point has been attained.”

Seeking Answers and Certainty

The lack of agreement over the timing and method to tackle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some are calling for additional coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to allow funerals to proceed for now. Different voices contend the time for moving graves is drawing near.

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

A local official said the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is up to them to choose the path to take. Our role is here to assist them through that process with residents.”

He added there was time to consider all the options. “We are talking many years before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no common view on what should be done yet. We need productive local conversations to find the right answers for each village.”

The prospect of the loss of the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a belief in life after death, providing a theological perspective on the physical disappearance of sacred ground.