🔗 Share this article

Loved ones whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from shoreline retreat argue that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the problem is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the final resting places of their loved ones.

A Looming Threat to Historic Graveyards

The council have identified three church graveyards in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being in danger of being engulfed by the ocean in the next few generations.

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

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. My parents intended this to be their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the encroaching sea.”

Projections indicate at least a portion of one graveyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some locals worry it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Past

A local business owner recalled a childhood visit to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the sea, including its church and graveyard.

“You could see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. People will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing in search of treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

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

A Soldier's Grave in Jeopardy

Further up the shoreline is situated the grave of a former paratrooper who died while working overseas. His mother said she lost sleep after learning her son’s grave might one day be relocated.

“It truly trouble me to think this won’t be his lasting home,” she said. “For us it’s an important site to visit.”

In her view, new burials should cease but says it is premature to exhume current plots. “My preference for now is to do nothing and watch carefully, but an timely resolution must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

An absence of agreement over the timing and method to handle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some want more coastal protections to delay the unavoidable loss and to allow burials to continue for now. Others argue the moment for relocation is drawing near.

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

A coastal manager confirmed the burial sites were under the care of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is up to them to decide the direction to take. Our role is here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

He added there was ample time to weigh all the choices. “This concerns many years before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should happen yet. We need good local conversations to discover the appropriate solutions for each village.”

The prospect of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “profound sorrow for the local community,” but church representatives also referenced a belief in resurrection, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the physical loss of hallowed earth.