Monday 25 May 2009

Norfolk churches under threat

Climate change is threatening churches in Norfolk as sea levels rise. Five churches along the River Thurne now stand on far less land than they used to as their grounds are swept away. ‘Communities are just floating away,’ said Kate Smith, a local historian. ‘We’re not talking about an act of Natural England [the government's advisor on the natural environment]. We’re talking about an ironic act of God.’ However, government plans to maintain the sea defences until 2048 should protect the Norfolk churches for the next 50 years, but locals are concerned at the fate of the churches after that time, if sea levels continue to rise.

Source: BBC (20/5)

2 comments:

seethroughfaith said...

interesting :)

Sally said...

interesting indeed Olive, I wonder if this article was a little overstated, but I do know that lots of communities are concerned for their own survival as water levels rise. Lots of land is low lying, one of our fenland Chapels sits just under the Sea wall on the River Ouse, when the tide is in it is lower than the water!

Are the locals very concerned abt their churches though, I think that as a part of the whole community, yes they are, as a stand alone case, probably not!