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Loved ones whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion argue that indecision on how best to tackle the problem is creating unnecessary distress concerning the final resting places of their loved ones.

An Impending Threat to Historic Churchyards

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

A recent report on the issue details a series of options, from taking no action to exhuming remains and reburying them in more secure locations. Officials say it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

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

Projections indicate at least part of one graveyard could fall into 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.

Haunted by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a childhood visit to the nearby settlement 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 idealized notion that the deceased will just get washed out to sea. That is not the case. Individuals will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing in search of treasures. That is completely undignified.”

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

A Paratrooper's Grave in Peril

Further up the coast lies the grave of a former paratrooper who died while serving abroad. His parent said she could not sleep after learning her son’s grave might one day be relocated.

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

In her view, new burials should stop but says it is too soon to exhume current plots. “My preference for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a tipping point has been attained.”

Searching for Answers and Clarity

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

Some want additional coastal protections to delay the unavoidable loss and to allow funerals to continue for now. Others contend the time for relocation is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotional,” said one relative. “The council’s report was really good, 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 owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is down to them to decide the path to take. We are here to assist them through that process with residents.”

He added there was ample time to weigh all the choices. “We are talking decades before it starts to be lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should happen yet. We need productive community discussions to find the appropriate answers 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 spoke of a doctrine in life after death, providing a theological viewpoint on the physical disappearance of sacred ground.