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Families whose relatives buried in graves at risk from coastal erosion state that a lack of decision on how best to address the issue is creating avoidable anguish concerning the eternal homes of their loved ones.

A Looming Danger to Historic Graveyards

The council have identified three burial grounds in the villages 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 situation sets out a series of possible actions, from taking no action to exhuming remains and reburying them in safer locations. Officials maintain it is for local people to decide how to move forward.

“At the moment we’re in limbo. It causes me distress. They wanted this to be their last home, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Projections suggest at least part of one graveyard could be claimed by the sea in the next 80 years, but some locals fear it will happen much sooner. “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

A local business owner recalled a childhood visit to the neighbouring settlement of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the sea, including its church and graveyard.

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get carried away to sea. They won’t. People will collect remains as souvenirs and go grave robbing looking for treasures. That is completely disrespectful.”

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

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

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

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

She believes, new interments should cease but says it is premature to disturb current plots. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an early decision needs to be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Clarity

The lack of agreement over when and how to tackle the challenge has resulted in grieving relatives feeling frustrated and worried.

Several families are calling for additional sea defences to delay the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to proceed for now. Different voices contend the moment for relocation is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotive,” said one relative. “The official study was really good, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And all parties is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager confirmed the graveyards were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is down to them to decide the path to take. We are here to assist them through that process with communities.”

It was also stated there was time to weigh all the options. “We are talking decades before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should be done yet. We need productive local conversations to discover the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The possibility of losing the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “immense sadness for the area,” but faith leaders also spoke of a doctrine in life after death, offering a theological viewpoint on the physical loss of hallowed earth.