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Families of people laid to rest in graves at risk from shoreline retreat state that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the problem is causing them unnecessary distress concerning the final resting places of their loved ones.

An Impending Danger to Historic Churchyards

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

A recent report on the situation sets out a series of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in safer locations. Authorities say it is for local people to decide how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. They wanted this to be their final resting place, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate at least a portion of one churchyard could fall into the sea in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen much sooner. “In my view it’s got under 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 village 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. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that the deceased will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. People will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves in search of valuables. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the identical fate that happened at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I would feel disgusted by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the shoreline lies the grave of a ex-soldier killed while serving abroad. His mother said she lost sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be moved.

“It does trouble me to think this may not remain his permanent resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an important site to visit.”

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to disturb current plots. “My preference for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an timely resolution must be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

The lack of agreement over when and how to handle the problem has left grieving relatives feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families want more coastal protections to delay the unavoidable loss and to allow burials to continue for now. Others contend the time for relocation is approaching.

“It is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And everybody is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A local official confirmed the burial sites were owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is up to them to decide the path to take. Our role is here to assist them through that journey with communities.”

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

“There is no common view on what should be done yet. We need good community discussions to discover the right answers for each village.”

The possibility of the loss of the historic sites was described as one of “immense sorrow for the area,” but church representatives also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the temporal disappearance of hallowed earth.