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Families of people buried in graves at risk from shoreline retreat state that a lack of decision on how best to tackle the issue is creating avoidable anguish about the final resting places of their loved ones.

An Impending Threat to Historic Churchyards

Local authorities have identified three burial grounds in the communities of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

A newly published study on the issue details a series of possible actions, from taking no action to disinterring bodies and relocating them in more secure locations. Authorities say it is for the community to decide how to proceed.

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

Estimates indicate at least part of one churchyard could be claimed by the waves in the next 80 years, but some residents worry it will happen far earlier. “I think it’s got less than 20 years, if you consider 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 sea, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see people’s bones,” she said. “Some have this idealized notion that the deceased will just get carried away to the ocean. They won’t. Individuals will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for valuables. That is completely disrespectful.”

“I’m worried that the same thing that happened at Eccles will happen at Happisburgh and there’ll be skeletons on the shore. I’d be appalled by that.”

A Paratrooper's Resting Place in Jeopardy

Further up the coast is situated the grave of a former paratrooper killed while working overseas. His parent expressed she could not sleep after learning her child's grave might one day be relocated.

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

She believes, new interments should cease but says it is too soon to exhume current plots. “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 attained.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

The lack of agreement over the timing and method to tackle the problem has left grieving relatives feeling frustrated and anxious.

Several families want more sea defences to slow 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 emotive,” said one relative. “The official study 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 owned and managed of the church authorities. “Ultimately it is down to them to decide the path to take. We are here to help support them through that journey with communities.”

It was also stated there was time to weigh all the choices. “This concerns many years before it starts to be lost.”

“Currently, there exists no unified opinion on what should be done yet. It requires good local conversations to find the appropriate solutions for each community.”

The prospect of losing the historic sites was described as one of “immense sadness for the local community,” but church representatives also referenced a doctrine in resurrection, offering a spiritual perspective on the physical disappearance of hallowed earth.