Breadcrumbs
Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coast
The AONB, a narrow coastal strip, stretches from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Amble. Soft sandstone and limestone rocks dipping gently as a plain to the sea make this essentially a low-lying coast with long views.
The Heritage Coast extends further beyond the AONB to north of Berwick upon Tweed to the Scottish border and South to Druridge Bay.
Open miles of fine beach are backed in places by extensive sand dunes recognised internationally for their wildlife and nature conservation importance. The AONB takes in the island of Lindisfarne and its treacherous intertidal flats (which is also a National Nature Reserve), as well as the numerous small islands and rocks of the Farne Islands further out from the coast.
Where the coastline is broken by the Whin Sill, ancient black basalt meets the sea in low headlands and rocky coves, dramatic setting for Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh Castles and shelter for working harbours such as Craster. Much of the coast is owned or managed by conservation organisations and includes many Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The Northumberland Coast is one of the best areas in Europe for birdwatching.
A management plan for the AONB has been produced by the Northumberland Coast Partnership, which informs and guides individuals and organisations, living and working in the area, to ensure this dramatic landscape is conserved and enhanced for a five year period to 2009. The plan can be downloaded from the AONB's website.
The AONB coincides for most of its full length with the North Northumberland Heritage Coast. The Heritage Coast extends beyond the AONB boundary north to the Scottish border, and south beyond the AONB to Druridge Bay.
