County Durham's coastline has emerged from a polluted industrial past to become a haven for wildlife
From end of Tuesday 24 March, we closed all our car parks to further restrict the spread of coronavirus. This followed the decision to close our parks and gardens in addition to our houses, shops and cafes. We urge people to stay local and observe social distancing. Please do not travel.
Durham Coast is a wonderful place for walkers and for those who want to enjoy the scenery from the cliff top paths.
The magnesian limestone that underlies this area has given rise to a spectacular landscape of cream-coloured cliffs intersected by steep-sided wooded valleys, or gills.
In summer the coastal grasslands are awash with rare and colourful wild flowers, which provide habitat to some very special wildlife such as the iconic Durham Brown Argus butterfly.
Most of our places run the Gift Aid on Entry scheme at their admission points.
Under this scheme, if you're not a member you have the choice of two entry tickets:
If the place runs Gift Aid on Entry, we'll offer you a clear choice between the Gift Aid Admission prices and the Standard Admission prices at the admission point. It's entirely up to you which ticket you choose.
Gift Aid Admission includes a 10 per cent or more voluntary donation. Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
An extra £1 paid under the scheme can be worth over £3 to the National Trust as shown below:
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount paid by visitor | £11.00 | £10.00 |
| Tax refund from Government* | £2.75 | £0.00 |
| Total received by the National Trust | £13.75 | £10.00 |
*Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
Café in the Dene, run in partnership with Natural England, is open daily 15 February - 1 November 10am-5pm, weekends November-February 10am-4pm. Find us at: Castle Eden Dene National Nature Reserve, Stanhope Chase, Peterlee SR8 1NJ
