There are 43 designated Heritage Coasts in England and Wales (Scotland has a different system of "Preferred Conservation Zones"). The "heritage coast" classification scheme was initiated in 1972 to protect 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.
In England the heritage coasts are managed by the Countryside Agency, while the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) administers the coasts in that country. 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 (AONB), and the protected area extends inland for an average of 1 1/2 miles.
1. Aberffraw
Bay
2. Ceredigion
3. Dinas Head
4. Dover-Folkestone
5. East
Devon
6. Exmoor
7. Flamborough
Headland
8. Glamorgan
9. Godrevy-Portreath
10. Gower
11. Great
Orme
12. Gribbin
Head-Polperro
13. Hamstead
14. Hartland
15. Holyhead
Mountain
16. Isles
of Scilly
17. Lleyn
18. Lundy
19. Marloes
and Dale
20. North
Anglesey
21. North
Devon
22. North
Norfolk
23. North
Northumberland
24. North
Yorkshire and Cleveland
25. Pentire
Point-Widemouth
26. Penwith
27. Purbeck
28. Rame
Head
29. St
Agnes
30. St
Bees Head
31. St.
Bride's Bay
32. St.
David's Peninsula
33. South
Devon
34. South
Foreland
35. South
Pembrokeshire
36. Spurn
37. Suffolk
38. Sussex
Downs
39. Tennyson
40. The
Lizard
41. The
Roseland
42. Trevose
Head
43. West
Dorset
