There are 43 designated Heritage Coasts in England and Wales (Scotland has a different system of "Preferred Conservation Zones"). The "heritage coast" classification scheme was initiated in 1972 to protect coastline of special scenic and environmental value from undesirable development. Much of the designated coastline is owned by the National Trust, through its Project Neptune appeal.

In England the heritage coasts are managed by the Countryside Agency, while the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) administers the coasts in that country. Some 31% of the coast in England and 42% in Wales is protected under the heritage coast scheme. Many of these coasts are part of larger National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and the protected area extends inland for an average of 1 1/2 miles.

Heritage Coasts in England and Wales

1. Aberffraw Bay
2. Ceredigion
3. Dinas Head
4. Dover-Folkestone
5. East Devon
6. Exmoor
7. Flamborough Headland
8. Glamorgan
9. Godrevy-Portreath
10. Gower
11. Great Orme
12. Gribbin Head-Polperro
13. Hamstead
14. Hartland
15. Holyhead Mountain
16. Isles of Scilly
17. Lleyn
18. Lundy
19. Marloes and Dale
20. North Anglesey
21. North Devon
22. North Norfolk
23. North Northumberland
24. North Yorkshire and Cleveland
25. Pentire Point-Widemouth
26. Penwith
27. Purbeck
28. Rame Head
29. St Agnes
30. St Bees Head
31. St. Bride's Bay
32. St. David's Peninsula
33. South Devon
34. South Foreland
35. South Pembrokeshire
36. Spurn
37. Suffolk
38. Sussex Downs
39. Tennyson
40. The Lizard
41. The Roseland
42. Trevose Head
43. West Dorset

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