Breadcrumbs
Durham Heritage Coast
Until recently the Durham Coast was one of the most heavily polluted coastlines in Britain, a legacy from over a hundred years of dumping colliery waste from its six coal mines along the beaches.
Following the closure of the local coal mines in the 1980’s, a £10million Turning the Tide project has been implemented, which has seen the successful transformation of the coastline. The removal of the spoil heaps and debris from the beaches and cliff tops, and the conversion of large areas of arable land to magnesian limestone grassland through Countryside Stewardship agreements, has rejuvenated the coastline.
Much of the Coast is now of national and international nature conservation importance. In recognition of the considerable improvements in the quality of the coastal landscape and the fine restored magnesian limestone grasslands, dunes, cliffs and stacks, the area was defined as a Heritage Coast in March 2001 by the local authorities and the Countryside Agency.
In April 2005 the Durham Heritage Coast Partnership launched its first management plan in which it set out the vision for the coast and an action plan setting out how the vision will be achieved. The plan can be downloaded from the Durham Heritage Coast website.
