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Restoration of unique coastal grasslands through grazing to provide a valuable amenity for nature-based tourism
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Grassland Restoration (working title)- The cliffs of the Durham coast and the few remaining areas of natural habitat on the cliff tops are home to a unique habitat found nowhere else in the world. The restoration of these grasslands to provide a valuable amenity for nature-based tourism requires the instigation of a cattle-grazing regime. To facilitate this the Trust wants to work with a wide range of partners (National Trust, Durham County Council, Heritage Coast, Natural England) over a three year period and provide a project co-ordinator to lead efforts to recreate historic field boundaries using fencing and hedging. This will allow the various grassland compartments to be grazed to enhance their biodiversity and provide a spectacular 10km sweep of flower rich grasslands.As important as the physical infrastructure to allow the restoration of the grasslands is the interpretation of the historic management on the coast. The unique grassland communities were created by grazing from the medieval period up to the twentieth century, with rabbit warrens also being a common feature along the coast from the medieval period to the nineteenth century. To allow the area to develop its full potential as a green tourism venue, historic features such as traditional parish boundary hedges and rabbit warrens would be recreated and interpreted.Grazing the coastal area also allows for the production of high quality beef from rare breed cattle. If this aspect of the project is properly developed, it can provide an income stream that will guarantee the sustainability of future management on the coast.