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Loved ones of people buried in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion state that indecision over how to tackle the problem is creating unnecessary distress about the eternal homes of their departed family.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Graveyards

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

A recent report on the issue sets out a range of possible actions, from taking no action to exhuming remains and relocating them in more secure sites. Officials say it is for the community to determine how to proceed.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It causes me distress. They intended this to serve as their last home, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate at least part of one churchyard could fall into the waves in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen much sooner. “I think it’s got under 20 years, if you consider 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 nearby settlement of Eccles, which has largely disappeared into the sea, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this idealized notion that people’s remains will just get carried away to sea. They won’t. People will take bones as mementos and go grave robbing in search of valuables. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the same thing that befell at Eccles will occur at Happisburgh and there’ll be bones on the beach. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a former paratrooper who died while serving overseas. His mother said she could not sleep after discovering her son’s final plot might one day be moved.

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

In her view, new interments should stop but says it is premature to disturb current plots. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an early decision must be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Searching for Solutions and Clarity

The lack of agreement over when and how to handle the problem has resulted in grieving relatives feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families want additional sea defences to slow the unavoidable loss and to allow funerals to proceed for now. Others contend the moment for moving graves 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 responsible.”

A coastal manager said the graveyards were owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is down to them to choose the direction to take. Our role is here to help support them through that journey with residents.”

He added there was time to weigh all the options. “This concerns many years before it starts to be lost.”

“There is no unified opinion on what should happen yet. We need good community discussions to discover the appropriate answers for each community.”

The prospect of the loss of the historic sites was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also referenced a doctrine in resurrection, offering a theological perspective on the physical loss of hallowed earth.