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Families whose relatives laid to rest in resting places at risk from coastal erosion argue that indecision on how best to address the problem is creating unnecessary distress concerning the final resting places of their departed family.

A Looming Threat to Historic Churchyards

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

A newly published study on the issue details a range of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and relocating them in safer locations. Authorities say it is for the community to decide how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It upsets me. They wanted this to be their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Estimates suggest at least part of one graveyard 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 school trip to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the water, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. Individuals will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for valuables. That is completely undignified.”

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

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Along the coast lies the burial plot of a ex-soldier killed while serving overseas. His mother said she could not sleep after discovering her child's final plot might one day be moved.

“It truly trouble me to think this may not remain his lasting home,” she said. “For us it’s an important place to go.”

She believes, new burials should stop but says it is too soon to disturb existing graves. “My preference for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an early decision must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Searching for Solutions and Certainty

The lack of consensus over the timing and method to tackle the challenge has left grieving relatives feeling exasperated and worried.

Some want additional sea defences to delay the unavoidable loss and to permit burials to continue for now. Others argue the time for relocation is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The official study was thorough, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager said the burial sites were under the care of the local diocese. “In the end it is up to them to decide the direction to take. We are here to help support them through that journey with residents.”

He added there was time to consider all the options. “This concerns decades before it starts to be lost.”

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

The prospect of the loss of the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the area,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in resurrection, providing a spiritual viewpoint on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.