Protecting the coast through decades of fundraising

From the gift of our first coastal property in 1895 – Dinas Oleu in North Wales – to our more recent acquisition of Sandilands, a former golf course in Lincolnshire, we look after some of the UK's most inspiring coastline. Our work to restore natural habitats and improve access to these places has been made possible through more than £114m raised in donations to the Neptune Campaign.

The legacy of Neptune

In the 1960s, we launched the Neptune Campaign to raise money to acquire coastal land and protect it from development.

Neptune's first purchase was Whiteford Burrows on the Gower peninsula, South Wales, in May 1965. The coastline we care for has since grown to include iconic landscapes, such as the Giants Causeway, Cape Cornwall and the White Cliffs of Dover. We've acquired three quarters of this land since launching the Neptune Campaign.

We continue to buy coastal land today, not only to safeguard it from development but also to allow us to adapt to future coastal change and rising sea levels. There have always been pressures on the coast from urban sprawl and industry but now it's bearing the brunt of a changing climate too.

The generosity of our donors and partners enables us to carry out vital restorative work across diverse coastal landscapes. This might involve anything from path maintenance to supporting wildlife and landscape restoration.

Adapting to coastal change

Fundraising for the coast is supporting our climate adaptation work, such as at Birling Gap in Sussex, where for the past few years we've been relocating the café and visitor centre as the cliffs recede. The ongoing erosion of these iconic white cliffs provides space for specialised plants and animals to thrive. It also offers a sanctuary for nesting birds such as fulmars, kittiwakes and peregrine falcons. 

On Northey Island, Essex, we are creating new areas of saltmarsh to help this wildlife-rich site face the challenges of rising sea levels. By re-using the sediment routinely dredged locally to maintain navigation channels, we're improving the health of the saltmarsh, providing new habitat for rare species and increasing the width of saltmarsh to create a protective barrier for the island itself.

Restoring nature

The Cornish Coastal Meadows Project aims to create 250 hectares of cliff top grassland at our places in Cornwall by 2026. Grassland meadows can support more than 700 species of wild plants and 1,400 species of insects, which is more than any other habitat type. Meadows are starting to come alive with invertebrates, such as grasshoppers, crickets and spiders, with bees and butterflies also benefitting from the increase in flowers.

Connecting people and coast

Our coastal fundraising helps us to maintain paths and beach access, as well as create new trails. We are also working hard to improve accessibility for all, by providing more changing places, developing accessible routes and making all-terrain mobility scooters (trampers) available for hire at our coastal places.

We're also creating new spaces where people can learn more about their coast's wildlife, landscape and history, such as at the Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre at Souter Lighthouse, Tyne & Wear. Completed in 2023 this accessible, multi-use space provides a coastal hub designed to serve the local community and visitors alike.