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Families whose relatives buried in graves at risk from coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the issue is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the eternal homes of their loved ones.

A Looming Danger to Historic Graveyards

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

A newly published study on the issue sets out a range of possible actions, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and relocating them in more secure sites. Authorities say it is for local people to determine how to move forward.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. They wanted this to serve as their last home, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Projections suggest at least part of one churchyard 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 look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the nearby village of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the water, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could 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. Individuals will take bones as souvenirs and go grave robbing looking for treasures. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the identical fate that befell at Eccles will happen at Happisburgh and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Peril

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a former paratrooper killed while serving abroad. His parent said she lost sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does trouble me to consider this won’t be his permanent resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an significant place to go.”

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to exhume current plots. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

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

Several families want additional sea defences to delay the unavoidable loss and to allow burials to continue for now. Different voices contend the time for relocation is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was thorough, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And everybody is washing their hands over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is up to them to decide the direction to take. Our role is here to assist them through that journey with residents.”

It was also stated there was ample time to consider all the options. “This concerns many years before it starts to be lost.”

“Currently, there exists no common view on what should happen yet. It requires productive community discussions to discover the right answers for each community.”

The prospect of losing the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “profound sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a belief in life after death, offering a theological viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.