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Families whose relatives laid to rest in resting places at risk from coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the issue is creating unnecessary distress about the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Threat to Historic Churchyards

Local authorities have identified three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Mundesley, and Trimingham as being in danger of being consumed by the ocean in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the issue details a series of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and reburying them in safer locations. Officials maintain it is for the community to decide how to proceed.

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It upsets me. My parents wanted this to serve as their final resting place, 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 fear 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,” one said.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

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

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that the deceased will just get carried away to the ocean. They won’t. Individuals will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for treasures. That is completely undignified.”

“I fear that the same thing that happened at Eccles will occur at Happisburgh and there’ll be bones on the shore. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Soldier's Grave in Peril

Further up the shoreline is situated the burial plot of a former paratrooper who died while serving abroad. His mother said she could not sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does trouble me to think this won’t be his lasting resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an important site to visit.”

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is premature to exhume existing graves. “My preference for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an early decision must be made when a critical moment has been attained.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

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

Several families want more coastal protections to slow the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to continue for now. Others contend the time for relocation is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The official study was really good, but now there’s confusion about how it is implemented. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager said the burial sites were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is up to them to decide the path to take. We are here to assist them through that journey with residents.”

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

“There is no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need good local conversations to find the appropriate solutions for each village.”

The prospect of losing the historic sites was described as one of “profound sadness for the local community,” but church representatives also spoke of a doctrine in life after death, offering a spiritual viewpoint on the physical loss of hallowed earth.