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Loved ones whose relatives buried in graves at risk from shoreline retreat argue that indecision over how to tackle the problem is causing them avoidable anguish concerning the final resting places of their loved ones.

An Impending Danger to Ancient Graveyards

Local authorities have identified three burial grounds in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being in danger of being engulfed by the sea in the next few generations.

A newly published study on the issue details a series of possible actions, from doing nothing to exhuming remains and reburying them in safer locations. Authorities maintain it is for the community to determine how to move forward.

“Right now we’re in limbo. It causes me distress. My parents intended this to serve as their final resting place, but it won't be because of the sea.”

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

Troubled by the Ghosts of Eccles

A local business owner remembered a childhood visit to the neighbouring village of Eccles, which has largely vanished into the water, including its place of worship and burial ground.

“You could see human remains,” she said. “Certain people hold this romantic idea that people’s remains will just get washed out to the ocean. That is not the case. People will collect remains as souvenirs and go plundering graves looking for 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 beach. I would feel disgusted by that.”

A Paratrooper's Grave in Jeopardy

Further up the shoreline is situated the burial plot of a ex-soldier who died while serving overseas. His parent said she could not sleep after learning her son’s final plot might one day be moved.

“It truly trouble me to consider this won’t be his lasting resting place,” she said. “For us it’s an important site to visit.”

She believes, new interments should stop but says it is too soon to disturb current plots. “What I would choose for now is to take no action and watch carefully, but an early decision needs to be made when a tipping point has been reached.”

Seeking Solutions and Certainty

The lack of consensus over the timing and method to handle the problem has resulted in grieving relatives feeling frustrated and anxious.

Several families are calling for more coastal protections to delay the inevitable erosion and to permit funerals to continue for now. Others contend 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 taken forward. And all parties is washing their hands over who is responsible.”

A local official said the graveyards were under the care of the local diocese. “Ultimately it is up to them to decide the direction to take. We are here to assist them through that journey with residents.”

He added there was ample time to consider all the choices. “This concerns many years before it starts to be lost.”

“Currently, there exists no common view on what should be done yet. We need good community discussions to discover the right solutions for each community.”

The possibility of losing the churches and graveyards was labeled one of “profound sorrow for the area,” but church representatives also referenced a doctrine in resurrection, offering a theological viewpoint on the physical loss of hallowed earth.