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Families of people buried in resting places vulnerable to shoreline retreat say that indecision on how best to address the problem is causing them unnecessary distress about the eternal homes of their loved ones.

An Impending Danger to Historic Graveyards

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 newly published study on the issue sets out a range of options, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in safer locations. Authorities say it is for local people to determine how to proceed.

“At the moment we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. My parents wanted this to serve as their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Estimates suggest at least a portion of one graveyard could fall into the sea in the next 80 years, but some locals worry it will happen far earlier. “In my view it’s got under 20 years, if you look at what’s occurred in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Past

One resident remembered a school trip to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the sea, along with its place of worship and burial ground.

“It was possible to see people’s bones,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that the deceased will just get washed out to sea. They won’t. People will collect remains as mementos and go grave robbing in search of 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 Soldier's Grave in Peril

Along the coast lies the grave of a former paratrooper killed while serving overseas. His mother expressed she could not sleep after discovering her son’s grave might one day be relocated.

“It does trouble me to consider this may not remain his permanent home,” she said. “To our family it’s an significant site to visit.”

In her view, new burials should stop but says it is too soon to disturb existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an timely resolution needs to be made when a tipping point has been attained.”

Seeking Solutions and Clarity

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

Several families want more coastal protections to delay the unavoidable loss and to allow burials to continue for now. Different voices argue the time for moving graves is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotional,” a family member stated. “The council’s report was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is implemented. And all parties is washing their hands over who is accountable.”

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

It was also stated there was time to weigh all the options. “This concerns many years before it begins getting lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should be done yet. It requires productive community discussions to discover the right solutions for each community.”

The possibility of losing the historic sites was labeled one of “immense sorrow for the area,” but church representatives also referenced a doctrine in life after death, providing a spiritual perspective on the physical disappearance of sacred ground.