🔗 Share this article

Families of people laid to rest in resting places vulnerable to shoreline retreat argue that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the problem is creating unnecessary distress about the final resting places of their departed family.

An Impending Threat to Ancient Churchyards

Local authorities have singled out three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being consumed by the ocean in the coming decades.

A recent report on the issue details a range of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. My parents wanted this to be their last home, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates suggest at least part of one graveyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got less than 20 years, if you look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident remembered a childhood visit to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the water, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that the deceased will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. Individuals will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing looking for valuables. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the identical fate that happened at Eccles will occur at Happisburgh and there’ll be bones on the beach. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Along the shoreline lies the grave of a ex-soldier who died while working overseas. His parent said she lost sleep after learning her son’s final plot might one day be moved.

“It truly disturb me to consider this may not remain his lasting resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an significant place to go.”

In her view, new burials should cease but says it is premature to exhume current plots. “My preference for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an early decision must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Certainty

The lack of consensus over when and how to tackle the challenge has left bereaved families feeling exasperated and anxious.

Several families are calling for additional sea defences to delay the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to proceed for now. Different voices argue the time for relocation is approaching.

“It is very emotional,” said one relative. “The official study was really good, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And everybody is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager confirmed the burial sites were owned and managed of the local diocese. “In the end it is up to them to decide the path to take. We are here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

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

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should be done yet. It requires good local conversations to find the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The prospect of the loss of the churches and graveyards was described as one of “profound sorrow for the local community,” but church representatives also referenced a doctrine in resurrection, offering a spiritual perspective on the physical loss of hallowed earth.