Heritage Coasts (England and Wales)

There are 43 designated Heritage Coasts in England and Wales. The "heritage coast" scheme was initiated to protect the coastline of special scenic and environmental value from undesirable development. Much of the designated coastline is owned by the National Trust, through its Project Neptune appeal.

Some 31% of the coast in England and 42% in Wales is protected under the heritage coast scheme. Many of these coasts are part of larger National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the protected area extends inland for an average of 1 1/2 miles.

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Shingle Street - Suffolk

Shingle Street is a small coastal hamlet in Suffolk at the mouth of Orford Ness, situated between Orford and Bawdsey and was originally a home for fishermen and river pilots for the River Ore. It is a rather strange, desolate but magical place. The notice boards you see before you leave the car park rightly declare the area as a "special place" which is also formally designated an SSSI - Sight of Special Scientific Interest - because of the rare flora that survives this wind-swept area of beach. A report from October 2004 suggests that Shingle Street is at risk from the sea and could disappear within 20 years if sea defences are not erected.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Heritage Coast seascape beach shingle coastal coastline

From Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex