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Families of people buried in resting places vulnerable to coastal erosion say that a lack of decision over how to address the issue is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the eternal homes of their loved ones.

An Impending Threat to Ancient Churchyards

Local authorities have singled out three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being at risk of being swallowed by the sea in the next few generations.

A recent report on the situation details a range of possible actions, from doing nothing to exhuming remains and reburying them in more secure sites. Authorities say it is for local people to decide how to proceed.

“Right now we’re in a state of uncertainty. It causes me distress. They intended this to serve as their last home, but it isn’t going to 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 fear it will happen far earlier. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you look at what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

One resident recalled a school trip to the nearby village of Eccles, which has almost entirely vanished into the water, including its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Some have this romantic idea that the deceased will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. Individuals will take bones as mementos and go grave robbing in search of valuables. It’s completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the identical fate that happened at Eccles will occur here and there’ll be skeletons on the beach. I’d be disgusted by that.”

A Soldier's Resting Place in Peril

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

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

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to disturb current plots. “My preference for now is to do nothing and closely monitor, but an timely resolution must be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Clarity

The lack of consensus over the timing and method to handle the problem has left bereaved families feeling exasperated and anxious.

Several families are calling for additional coastal protections to slow the inevitable erosion and to permit burials to proceed for now. Others contend the time for relocation is drawing near.

“The situation is very emotive,” said one relative. “The official study was really good, but now there’s uncertainty about how it is taken forward. And everybody is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager confirmed the burial sites were under the care of the church authorities. “In the end it is up to them to decide the direction to take. Our role is here to assist them through that journey with residents.”

He added 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 happen yet. We need good community discussions to find the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The possibility of the loss of 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, offering a theological perspective on the temporal loss of hallowed earth.