Our work on the Yorkshire coast
Where towering cliffs meet the restless North Sea, the Yorkshire Coast offers a landscape shaped by wind, waves and time. Stretching along the edge of the North York Moors, it’s a place of dramatic horizons, iconic walking routes and a rich mix of wildlife, geology and history.
Each year, tens of thousands of people come here to leave the noise of modern life behind. To breathe in the sea air, follow the clifftop paths and watch seabirds wheel overhead.
But keeping this coastline special doesn’t happen by accident. This is where you can discover how National Trust rangers and volunteers care for the Yorkshire Coast, from maintaining footpaths to protecting wildlife and restoring habitats.
Behind every path and meadow is a dedicated team, working year-round to care for the Yorkshire Coast’s wildlife, habitats and historic landscape. Keeping it wild, welcoming and alive.
Looking after footpaths
The Yorkshire Coast is made for walking, and we work hard to keep it that way.
The Cleveland Way National Trail stretches for miles along clifftops, bays and coastal villages, forming one of the most popular walking routes and connecting some of the most iconic views in the North York Moors and Yorkshire Coast. Tens of thousands of people use it every year, and keeping the sections that cross National Trust land open, safe and enjoyable is a year-round job.
Our rangers regularly check the route in all seasons, dealing with everything from fallen trees and broken fences to flooding, landslips and erosion.
In winter, heavy rain can leave paths muddy and waterlogged, so we lay stone, improve drainage and manage vegetation to help surfaces recover. In summer, fast-growing grass and scrub can quickly take over, so with the help of volunteers we cut back vegetation and repair steps, gates and waymarkers.
As the coastline continues to shift, we sometimes need to adapt the route itself. We do this by moving fences inland or rerouting sections of path to keep walkers safe and protect the trail from coastal erosion.
Maintaining such a long and exposed stretch of coastline can be challenging, time-consuming and sometimes hazardous. That’s why we also use modern equipment like our remote-controlled Robocut, which allows us to safely manage dense vegetation on steep or difficult terrain where traditional tools aren’t suitable.
Looking after historical sites
The Yorkshire Coast is rich in history, with sites that tell the story of how people have lived and worked alongside this changing landscape for centuries.
From the remains of a 17th-century alum industry to a Second World War radar station, our teams help care for these important heritage sites by preserving them for future generations while allowing visitors to connect with the past.
Our work includes managing vegetation, maintaining boundary fencing to protect fragile remains, and carrying out small-scale repairs such as clearing debris and stabilising stonework to slow further deterioration.
Where specialist knowledge is needed, we work with experts, including archaeologists and conservation architects, to better understand and protect these sites. Recent work has included commissioning an archaeological survey of the Ravenscar radar station, helping to inform how it is managed in the future.
Managing habitats
The Yorkshire Coast and North York Moors support an incredible range of habitats, from flower-rich meadows and ancient woodland to exposed clifftops shaped by wind and salt spray.
But without careful management, these landscapes can quickly change. Scrub encroachment, invasive species and historic habitat loss all threaten the plants and animals that depend on them.
Our rangers and volunteers work throughout the year to protect and restore these habitats. In summer, we tackle species like bracken and Himalayan balsam. In winter, we clear birch, sycamore, rhododendron and gorse to open up key areas and reconnect fragmented habitats.
We also work closely with tenant farmers across the Yorkshire Coast to support nature-friendly land management. Together, we create wildlife-rich margins, restore meadows and manage grazing levels to benefit biodiversity.
Modern technology is helping us go further. Our remote-controlled Robocut allows us to safely clear dense vegetation on steep ground, creating space for wildflowers, ground-nesting birds and species such as adders. Alongside this, the use of electric tools, from brush cutters to chainsaws, helps reduce noise, emissions and disturbance to wildlife.
By combining traditional land management with low-impact technology, we’re helping nature recover and thrive across this wild and ever-changing coastline. Without this work, many of the species that make the Yorkshire Coast special would slowly disappear.
Surveying wildlife
The Yorkshire Coast is home to some of the UK's most important coastal wildlife, from seals, seabirds and songbirds such as skylark and yellowhammer to bats, owls, adders and great crested newts.
To understand how these species are faring, our ranger team works alongside local experts, volunteers and community groups to carry out a wide range of surveys along the coast.
This includes monitoring the Ravenscar seal colony, surveying seabird colonies at Staithes, Ravenscar, Newbiggin and Robin Hood’s Bay, and tracking mammals, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and plant life across different habitats.
Licensed British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) bird ringers also carry out ongoing bird ringing, helping us monitor migration patterns and breeding success. This data plays a vital role in building a clearer picture of how wildlife is changing across the Yorkshire Coast and where conservation efforts are most needed.
We’re also embracing modern technology to deepen our understanding of how wildlife uses the landscape. Acoustic recorders such as AudioMoth help detect bats and nocturnal species, while trail cameras capture elusive mammals and breeding behaviour with minimal disturbance.
Drone surveys allow us to map habitats, monitor coastal erosion and assess hard-to-reach areas safely and efficiently.
By combining traditional field skills with modern technology, we can make better, evidence-based decisions to protect the wildlife of the Yorkshire Coast and North York Moors.
Many of the species we monitor can be seen along the coast, from seals at Ravenscar to seabirds nesting along the cliffs, making every visit a chance to experience this wildlife first-hand.
Working with volunteers
We have a dedicated band of volunteers who help with all aspects of our work along the Yorkshire coast. These volunteers diligently help us achieve our aims on a dedicated day every week.
We have a limited number of spaces in each working group, due to things like transport, tools and staff to lead sessions. You can keep an eye out for call outs for volunteers across this patch by following our North York Moors and Yorkshire coast Facebook page and Instagram account. Our volunteer page is a great source for more information.
Beach cleans
Get involved with beach cleans along the Yorkshire coast. Our most recent was at Hayburn Wyke, near Scarborough. We will add details here of our future events.
Partnership working
Our work overlaps with many organisations in the area, who are also working passionately to help restore nature and make this stretch of coastline as accessible as possible for as many people as possible.
Geographically, we share a lot of our area with the North York Moors National Park. We have worked for decades with them to help maintain the Cleveland Way, up to our most recent partnership slightly inland to help restore the footpaths on and around Roseberry Topping.
A bit about archaeology
There are lots of interesting archeological sites dotted all around this area, and we share details about some of these on our social media channels throughout the year.
Most notable along the Yorkshire coast are two heavy industries that have shaped the landscape. First, the Alum industry that has left behind the Alum Works site at Ravenscar, which is now a SSSI site in the National Trust's care. There is also the Loftus Alum Quarries near Teesside, where the quarrying has left an interesting double cliff edge on the coast.
The second industry was ironstone mining. The National Trust looks after a Grade II listed Guibal Fanhouse at Warsett Hill. There is also some interesting remains of a railway tunnel and harbour linked to it at Port Mulgrave.
A few facts about the Yorkshire coast...
Coast erosion
This stretch of UK coastline is estimated to have a huge 50,000 coastal landslides each year.
Dramatic landscape
Boulby Cliffs, at the north end of the Yorkshire coast, are home to the highest cliffs on the east coast of England. They stand at 660 feet (200 metres) above sea level.
Whale spotting
Between June and November, the waters off places like Whitby, Staithes and Runswick Bay become a migration corridor for minke, fin, sei, pilot and even humpback whales, as they follow shoals of mackerel and herring down from the Arctic. It’s one of the only places in England where you can reliably see so many whale species from the shore.
The Yorkshire coast is a stunning stretch of coastline that we are lucky to have on our doorstep. The nature and wildlife is incredibly diverse and, in line with our strategy here at the National Trust, it presents a fantastic opportunity for us to excel in one of our major objectives, which is restoring nature. We know this is a special place to so many people, including our own staff and volunteers, and we are looking forward to ensuring we play our part in enhancing the nature and beauty of it over the coming years and decades.
Did you know?
The Cinder Track between Whitby and Scarborough was once the Scarborough–Whitby Railway, opened in 1885 and closed in 1965 during the Beeching cuts. Today, this former coastal railway has been reborn as a 21‑mile multi‑use bridleway, its name coming from the original cinder ballast used along the trackbed.
Much of the route now winds through the North York Moors National Park, offering sweeping sea views, old station platforms, and glimpses of wildlife. Large sections pass through National Trust land, including the picturesque wooded cove at Hayburn Wyke with its beautiful double waterfall.
The track is now one of the most popular off‑road trails in the region, welcoming walkers, cyclists, and horse riders who follow the same dramatic coastal corridor once used by steam trains.
Our partners
The North York Moors National Park Authority looks after this beautiful corner of Yorkshire, helping to protect and conserve it, while encouraging people to enjoy and understand how special it is.
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