The ‘black beaches’ of the Durham coastline aren’t black anymore. Property manager Denis Rooney talks about the ongoing restoration of this beautiful stretch of coast to its natural glory.
Before …
They were called the ‘black beaches’ because as recently as fifteen years ago, waste disposal from five collieries dumped coal waste directly onto the beaches of the Durham coast. It was legal, and it was the cheapest way of getting rid of the sooty by-product of mechanised coal mining. Over the years, 300 million tonnes of waste had piled onto the beaches, reaching as high as the cliff tops at the dumping spots. It literally stopped the tide
“At high tide, you could walk between Seaham and Blackhall.”
… and after
Now, walking along the pale, pebbled beaches, only the flotsam and jetsam – a sea-worn mineshaft, a tile from the pit showers – gives away the history of the beaches. “It took over six months to remove the piles of waste when the pits closed,” says Denis, and since then, the tides have steadily cleaned the beaches. “Over the past two years we’ve been seeing more and more visitors,” says Denis. Liz Fisher, Area Manager adds: “Now we need to get local people to see the potential of the area and how it could benefit them.”
Lamping, fly-tipping and biking
Based at White Lea Farm in Easington, Denis has worked closely with the local community from the outset because it wasn’t just the coalmine responsible for blotting the landscape. “I’m not just a coastal warden. I’ve been community worker, policeman and rubbish collector!”
At third on the UK’s deprivation register, Easington has had more than its share of social problems. Over five years, 750 stolen/wrecked cars were dumped on the beaches and cliffs. The practice of “lamping” – shining powerful torches to startle and capture wild animals– was commonplace. And bikers treated the cliffs as their playground.
Having secured short-term funding from the European Strategic Redevelopment Fund, an off-road police bike is now on patrol five days a week.
“It’s taken us ten years, but the results have been fantastic,” says Denis.
Environmental challenges
Ironically, now the beaches are becoming clear of the coal waste, the cliffs are becoming exposed to the powerful tides. The headlands, formed from fragile limestone, are eroding at a rate of two to three metres a year. “The Trust policy is to allow ‘managed retreat’ and our challenge is to manage and prepare for the erosion” says Denis.
Another objective is to protect the grassland growing on the chalky hilltops “It’s incredibly rare and a site of Special Scientific Interest,” says Denis. “Funding from the Neptune Campaign and the Lottery is helping us to acquire farmland that we can return to grassland.”
Bright future
“Children and groups are already coming to the coast from schools and local organisations to learn about the coast and the environment. This area is going to become a major attraction and by working with the local community, we want to win their support for the work we’re doing here, and make it sustainable.” Plans for the development of White Lea Farm on the Durham Coast are currently under discussion.
About Denis Rooney
Denis Rooney has been Property Manager for the Durham Coastline since 1991. Before working for the Trust, Denis worked for twenty years as a miner at Dawdon Colliery in Seaham Harbour. “During the strike, I’d bring my family for picnics on these cliffs and think, this is where I want to be.”
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