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Families of people laid to rest in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion argue that a lack of decision over how to address the issue is creating avoidable anguish about the final resting places of their loved ones.

An Impending Threat to Ancient Churchyards

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

A recent report on the situation sets out a range of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in safer locations. Authorities say it is for the community to determine how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. My parents intended this to be their last home, but it won't be because of the sea.”

Estimates indicate 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 happened in the last 30 years,” a farmer stated.

Haunted by the Past

A local business owner remembered a school trip to the nearby village of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the sea, along with its church and graveyard.

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get carried away to the ocean. They won’t. People will collect remains as mementos and go plundering graves looking for treasures. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I fear that the same thing that happened at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be bones on the shore. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Along the coast is situated the burial plot of a ex-soldier killed while serving overseas. His parent expressed she lost sleep after discovering her son’s final plot might one day be relocated.

“It truly disturb me to consider this won’t be his permanent resting place,” she said. “To our family it’s an significant place to go.”

In her view, new burials should stop but says it is premature to disturb existing graves. “My preference for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

An absence of consensus over when and how to handle the problem has left bereaved families feeling exasperated and worried.

Several families are calling for more coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit funerals to proceed for now. Different voices 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 uncertainty about how it is implemented. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is responsible.”

A coastal manager confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the local diocese. “Ultimately 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 time to consider all the options. “This concerns many years before it begins getting lost.”

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

The possibility of losing the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the local community,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in life after death, providing a spiritual viewpoint on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.