‘My village is falling into the sea, and my £98k house is next – it’s a nightmare!’

In the quiet hours of the night, as waves crash relentlessly against crumbling cliffs, the residents of lie awake, haunted by the sound of their world slipping away.

For centuries, the sea has shaped life along the coast, offering beauty and bounty. But now, it’s stealing back what it once gave, one house at a time.

Bryony Nierop-Reading, a 79-year-old pensioner living in the coastal village, faces the imminent demolition of her home due to relentless cliff erosion.

Her house, situated on Beach Road, is the next in line to be claimed by the advancing sea, a fate that has already devastated much of the community.

“It’s a nightmare waiting to happen,” Bryony said in an interview with Daily Express, describing the anguish of watching her home inch closer to destruction.

“As the cliff erodes, it’s not just me; my neighbours will go through it too, one by one.”

This is not Bryony’s first experience of such devastation. Her previous home on the same road was lost in a tidal surge in 2013, forcing her to live in temporary accommodation. She now faces a similar upheaval, with plans to relocate to a static caravan when her current house, valued at £98,000, become too dangerous to live in.

Bryony is one of the voices behind Save Happisburgh, a grassroots campaign advocating for better coastal defences to slow erosion. The group has been lobbying the government and local authorities to implement solutions, such as placing rocks directly at the cliff’s base to prevent further collapse.

“We’re hoping the new government will take this more seriously,” she said.

The impact of erosion extends beyond homes. Happisburgh’s medieval parish church, a local pub and other landmarks are also under threat.

Happisburgh isn’t alone in its battle against coastal erosion.

Coastal erosion is a growing concern across the UK, with 21 hotspots identified, including seaside villages in Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, East Yorkshire, Essex, Kent, the Isle of Wight, Northumberland, Norfolk, and Sussex.

These areas collectively risk losing 2,218 properties valued at approximately £584 million, according to .

Research suggests that rising sea levels could put beloved seaside destinations across the UK underwater – with some estimates even predicting this could be happening by 2050. Areas like Weston-Super-Mare, Eastbourne and Portsmouth are among the locations predicted to experience significant flooding, with much of their coastlines submerged.

Other famous coastal resorts, such as Poole and West Sussex’s West Wittering, may lose both landmarks and infrastructure, including Poole’s seafront railway station.

Even London is at risk, with the Thames potentially overflowing its banks. Despite some regions being better prepared than others with coastal defence schemes, the data paints a troubling picture of communities losing their homes and histories to the encroaching tides.

“The attitude seems to be, ‘oh well, they’ll go eventually’,” Bryony lamented. “It’s heartbreaking to see our history and community disappearing.”

For Bryony, the situation is emblematic of a larger national issue.

She added: “With no defences, our country is getting smaller. If the policy of retreat continues, in a few generations, people will be crammed into the centre of the country. It’s a long-term nightmare.”

Sarah Greenwood, a steering committee member of Save Happisburgh, said the erosion has put entire neighbourhoods on the brink of collapse as well as the village’s most recognisable landmarks.

She said: “You can’t just ‘roll back’ a 200-year-old lighthouse or a Grade I-listed church. These aren’t just buildings, they’re part of who we are.”

Happisburgh’s narrow beaches, with easily eroded boulder clay at the base of their cliffs, have left the village defenceless against powerful North Sea waves. Happisburgh has relied on ad hoc measures, but these have proved insufficient.

A £3.2 million Pathfinder Project in 2011 allowed some Happisburgh residents to move inland but many were left behind. The government has since launched a £36 million Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme but it doesn’t include any funding for new defences, focusing instead on managed retreat.

This decision has angered communities who see their heritage slipping away with every storm.

“Losing them wouldn’t just mean losing a piece of history, it would mean losing a part of ourselves. These landmarks connect us to our past and to each other,” Greenwood added.

Happisburgh is one of the few areas benefiting from CoastWise, an experimental scheme aimed at helping residents adapt to coastal erosion. However, Bryony noted that the programme offers limited assistance.

“It doesn’t help you find a new home or offer financial support, it’s more about advice,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commented on the government’s efforts:”We are committed to supporting coastal communities for the challenges they face now and in the future.

“That is why this Government is investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to better protect communities from flooding and coastal erosion.”

The spokesperson highlighted the work of the Floods Resilience Taskforce, which brings together key stakeholders to coordinate and speed up efforts to prepare for and combat flooding.

In addition, Defra announced that funding for projects to enhance flood and coastal resilience in 2025/26 will be determined through consultations with Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, ensuring local representation.

Despite her personal challenges, Bryony remains committed to raising awareness about coastal erosion. “It’s only by getting it in the public eye that we can hope to achieve something,” she concluded.