North York Moors National Park
 

Learning Zone

What is a Heritage Coast?

 

Did you know?

If you walked around the coastline of Britain you would walk over 5000 miles!

Heritage Coasts are protected to keep them specialIn England and Wales, the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of this coastline have been given special protection so that they stay undeveloped by industry or tourism. These protected coastlines are called Heritage Coasts and there are over 40 around the coast of England and Wales.

Some of these Heritage Coasts are also very important for their geology (their rocks and fossils).

Just over 1000 km of the coastline around England (about a third) is Heritage Coast.

The ammonite fossil is the symbol of our Heritage CoastThe 26 mile coastline of the North York Moors National Park is part of the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast.

This is 36 miles long and stretches from Saltburn to the North of the National Park down to Scalby Ness near Scarborough. A short section around Whitby is not Heritage Coast as this has been developed as a town and for tourism.