Almost 900 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now protected for the nation thanks to the generosity of the UK public, the National Trust has announced.

As a result of new detailed mapping, the charity can reveal that it looks after 896 miles of coast, over 10% of the total coastline of the three countries, on behalf of the nation.

The news comes on the 60th anniversary of the Trust's major coast campaign, Enterprise Neptune, which is one of the longest-running environmental campaigns in Europe, and regarded as among the most successful endeavours in the charity's 130-year history.

Since its inception in 1965 to address the rising threat of overdevelopment of the coast, the campaign has raised over £114m through donations, many of which have been left as gifts in people’s wills. Three quarters of the 896 miles cared for by the Trust since its founding in 1895 have been acquired through Enterprise Neptune.

The Trust is also marking the anniversary by announcing its latest coastal acquisition – a stretch of grassland in Swanage, Dorset, which fills the final 'gap' in an important length of coastline cared for by the charity.

Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust, said:

"This extraordinary coming together of public generosity over 60 years means the UK coast is one of the best protected in the world. To reach 900 miles - or almost! - is testament to everyone who has been part of this enduring campaign."

"Generations of people have left gifts in their wills, or given money in memory of a loved one, or simply wanted to protect a place they love. Every donation has a reason behind it, and together they tell an incredible story about the UK public's affinity with its coastline."

"It's because of this shared endeavour that we can all freely access and enjoy the White Cliffs of Dover, the inlets of Cornwall and the North Antrim coast, and our Pembrokeshire headlands. In fact, it is hard to imagine what our coastline would look like without Neptune.”

Recent acquisitions made by the National Trust include a former coastal golf course in Lincolnshire (2020) and a picturesque stretch of cliffs at Tintagel in Cornwall (2023). Other landmark sites saved include fields atop the White Cliffs of Dover, which were bought after an appeal backed by Dame Vera Lynn in 2017 raised £1m in just a few weeks.

In recent years, the Neptune campaign has focussed on conservation, including responding to the challenges posed by climate change, such as sea level rise and extreme storms. Projects have included a major coastal adaptation scheme on Northey Island in Essex, where the creation of saltmarsh is protecting rare bird habitats from rising sea levels.

However, the Trust continues to acquire areas of coast where it can make a significant contribution to restoring nature and provide access and enjoyment for people.

Its latest acquisition is a 26-hectare strip of coastal grassland in Swanage, Purbeck. The site lies between two farms already looked after by the Trust, and is the final piece of the jigsaw in a continuous five-mile stretch in the charity’s care. It will be grazed by livestock and provide room for wildlife, including rare wildflowers such as early spider orchids, and butterflies like the Lulworth skipper. The Trust will also improve the area for walkers, including widening the South West Coast Path to make it safer and easier.

Hilary continued:

"As today's news shows, Neptune is still going strong. In fact, the current threats facing our coastline, such as rising sea levels and more extreme weather events, mean Neptune is needed as much as ever. So if people want to be involved in the next chapter of this historic campaign, we would love to talk to them.”

Enterprise Neptune began in May 1965 when geography professor Dr John Whittow and a group of 33 students and three fellow lecturers from Reading University set out to survey the entire coastline of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With limited technology available, the students trekked around the coast, camping in tents and painstakingly colouring-in hundreds of Ordnance Survey maps. On analysing the data, Dr Whittow found that a third of the total coastline was in pristine condition but in need of protection from encroaching development and overtourism.

The National Trust launched the campaign that same year, acquiring Whiteford Burrows on the Gower Peninsula as its first purchase with Neptune funds. Back then, the site had been earmarked for landfill; today it is one of the best dune systems in Britain, supporting a range of rare and important species.

Eight years later, in 1973, the campaign had reached its original £2m target and had saved over 300 miles of coast.

Some stretches of coastline that were deemed ‘beyond redemption’ in the 1965 survey have since been bought by the Trust, with several having undergone a remarkable transformation. Stretches of the County Durham coastline (purchased 1988-90), once black with coal waste, are now home to wildflower meadows. The peninsula of Orford Ness in Suffolk (1993) was a military testing ground in the mid-20th century – today it’s a thriving nature reserve filled with birds, and most recently, a colony of grey seals.

In 2014, the University of Leicester repeated the original survey – albeit digitally this time – to understand how land along the coast had changed since 1965. The data revealed that of the 3,442 miles of coastline deemed ‘pristine’ in the original survey, 94% was now protected either by the Trust or by statutory designations.

Dr John Whittow, who led the 1965 survey and recommended the Trust acquire 900 miles of coast, said:

“Before the monumental coastal survey of some 8,000 miles could begin, it was imperative that a pilot survey should take place to acquaint my 30 students, post-grads and staff from Reading University with my newly devised methodology. What better place than Dorset’s Purbeck coast which we “invaded” in May 1965."

“This was long before it rejoiced in the title “the Jurassic Coast”, a World Heritage Site, and I hope that I wasn’t swayed by its scenic beauty and its geological attraction. Because the survey was intended to be an objective exercise in order to highlight those coastlines already lost to earlier development and those likely to be under future threat, I emphasised that there should be no personal opinions. I was asked to demonstrate the location of those pristine shores where the NT could further explore to make their future acquisitions and I recommended a total of 900 miles."

“Returning to think about the Purbeck coast, I remember how Neptune’s Patron, HRH Prince Philip later told me how much he esteemed those very coasts of South West England, where so many of the Trust properties may be found, held in perpetuity and with access for the nation. I felt very privileged to have been part of what a former Director-General, Dame Fiona Reynolds, has called “arguably the Trust’s greatest achievement: Enterprise Neptune”.”

Sean Fletcher, TV presenter and National Trust Ambassador, said:

“I’ve visited coastal sites around the globe, and I’m always struck by how the UK’s coastline stands shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best. The Trust’s Neptune campaign to protect our coastline has preserved some wonderful natural gems, which we can all enjoy.”

The charity is encouraging people to donate to its 60-year coastal campaign by going to the webpage here and selecting ‘coast’.