Human Remains Washed from Their Graves!

Flooding is always distressing, but in Mudford, in Somerset,  it has brought a particularly harrowing consequence—human bones, long buried in the churchyard, are being washed out of the ground. The churchyard has been a resting place for the local community for nearly a thousand years, yet now, due to relentless erosion, graves are being disturbed, and remains are emerging from the earth.

For families with loved ones buried there, this is deeply upsetting. The fear that a relative’s remains could be among those displaced is unimaginable. One local resident, after seeing the news coverage, reached out with a heartbreaking question:

“Hi, just seen BBC local news ref flooding down by Mudford Church, my great-grandmother, my grandmother, and my uncle are buried on the corner of the churchyard next to the road. I hope that the bones recently found aren’t theirs?”

This stark message brings home the personal impact of this grim discovery. Graves are meant to be places of peace and remembrance, not sites of erosion and loss. The thought that a loved one’s remains could be washed away by floodwaters is something no family should have to endure.

Yet, this is the reality Mudford faces. With the churchyard situated so close to the river and the road, the effects of extreme weather and persistent flooding are accelerating the damage. The land, saturated and unstable, can no longer hold its history in place.

This is not just a local issue—it is a profound reminder of the long-term consequences of flooding and climate change. These graves were dug with the expectation that those buried there would rest undisturbed for eternity. Now, their peace is being shattered, and for those left behind, the grief is compounded by uncertainty and distress.

This situation demands urgent attention—not just to recover and respectfully reinter the remains, but to protect Mudford’s historic burial ground before more of its past islost to the water. The  Three Villages Flood Group is committed to tackling these issues. We invite collaboration from the relevant authorities in the fight

against worsen flooding in our three villages. Mudford, Ashington and Chilton Cantelo.

The photo here is of the cemetery, badly submerged in the likely area of the grave mentioned in the letter, as indicated by the red rectangle. Water on the far side of the hedge is over the road, approximately 6ft deep.

The other photos show the piece of skull being found in the hedge, it was washed out of the soil following heavy flooding.