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Families whose relatives laid to rest in graves at risk from coastal erosion say that indecision over how to tackle the issue is causing them avoidable anguish about the eternal homes of their loved ones.

A Looming Threat to Ancient Churchyards

The council have identified three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being consumed by the sea in the next few generations.

A recent report on the issue sets out a series of options, from doing nothing to exhuming remains and reburying them in safer sites. Authorities say it is for the community to determine how to proceed.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It upsets me. They intended this to be their final resting place, but it isn’t going to be because of the sea.”

Projections suggest at least a portion of one churchyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents fear it will happen far earlier. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider what’s happened in the last 30 years,” one said.

Haunted by the Past

A local business owner remembered a school trip to the nearby settlement of Eccles, which has almost entirely disappeared into the water, including its church and graveyard.

“It was possible to see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get carried away to the ocean. That is not the case. Individuals will take bones as souvenirs and go grave robbing in search of valuables. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the same thing that happened at Eccles will happen here and there’ll be skeletons on the beach. I would feel appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a former paratrooper killed while working abroad. His mother said she could not sleep after discovering her son’s final plot might one day be relocated.

“It does disturb me to think this may not remain his lasting home,” she said. “For us it’s an significant site to visit.”

In her view, new interments should cease but says it is premature to exhume existing graves. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and closely monitor, but an early decision must be made when a critical moment has been reached.”

Seeking Answers and Certainty

An absence of consensus over when and how to tackle the problem has resulted in bereaved families feeling frustrated and worried.

Some are calling for additional coastal protections to slow the inevitable erosion and to allow burials to continue for now. Others argue the time for relocation is approaching.

“The situation is very emotional,” said one relative. “The council’s report was really good, but now there’s confusion about how it is taken forward. And all parties is avoiding responsibility over who is accountable.”

A coastal manager confirmed the burial sites were under the care of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is up to them to choose the direction to take. We are here to assist them through that process with communities.”

He added there was ample time to consider all the choices. “We are talking many years before it begins getting lost.”

“There is no common view on what should be done yet. It requires productive community discussions to discover the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The possibility of losing the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but faith leaders also referenced a belief in resurrection, providing a theological viewpoint on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.