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Families whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion argue that indecision over how to tackle the problem is causing them avoidable anguish about the final resting places of their loved ones.

A Looming Danger to Ancient Churchyards

The council have identified three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being at risk of being engulfed by the sea in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the issue details a series of possible actions, from doing nothing to disinterring bodies and reburying them in more secure sites. Authorities say it is for local people to decide how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It upsets me. My parents wanted this to serve as their last home, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Projections suggest at least a portion of one graveyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some locals worry it will happen much sooner. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Troubled by the Past

One resident recalled a school trip to the nearby village of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the water, along with its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get washed out to the ocean. They won’t. People will collect remains as mementos and go plundering graves looking for valuables. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the identical fate that happened at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Peril

Along the shoreline lies the grave of a former paratrooper killed while serving abroad. His parent said she lost sleep after discovering her son’s final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does trouble me to think this may not remain his permanent home,” she said. “To our family it’s an important place to go.”

She believes, new burials should stop but says it is premature to exhume existing graves. “My preference for now is to do nothing and watch carefully, but an early decision must be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

An absence of agreement over the timing and method to tackle the problem has left bereaved families feeling frustrated and anxious.

Some want additional coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit 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 confusion about how it is taken forward. And everybody is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is down to them to decide the direction to take. We are here to assist them through that process with residents.”

He added there was ample time to consider all the options. “We are talking many years before it begins getting lost.”

“There is no common view on what should be done yet. We need productive community discussions to discover the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The possibility of losing the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but faith leaders also referenced a belief in life after death, providing a theological viewpoint on the temporal loss of sacred ground.