The Durham Heritage Coast and the coast path

The coast path is the first thing most owners discover. It runs along the cliff tops right past the park, and once you have walked a stretch of it you start planning the next one.

From coal waste to Heritage Coast

It is hard to believe now, but for much of the last century this coastline was black. The pits along the Durham coast tipped their waste straight onto the beaches and into the sea, and the shore was one of the most damaged in the country. Decades of cleaning up have changed that completely. Today it is a protected Heritage Coast, with sandy bays, headlands and yellow limestone cliffs up to 30 metres high, and the cliff tops are full of wildflowers in summer.

Walking it

The England Coast Path follows the line of the cliffs, waymarked with the acorn sign of the National Trails. From the park you can walk south past Crimdon towards Hartlepool, or north past Blackhall Rocks and on towards Horden and Seaham. Along the way you cross the mouths of several denes, the steep wooded valleys that cut down to the sea, and Castle Eden Dene, beside the park, is the biggest of them.

Because the Durham Coast railway line runs close to the shore, with stations at Hartlepool, Horden and Seaham, you can walk one way and catch the train back, which makes a longer walk much easier to plan.

What you might see

Seabirds on the cliffs, butterflies on the grassland, ships waiting off the coast for the Tees, and on a clear day a very long way out to sea. Bring binoculars. And bring the dog, because this is about as good as dog walking gets.

Owning a home nearby

For walkers, the coast path alone is reason enough to own here. Denemouth Park is a family run, owners only park at Blackhall Rocks, with homes for sale on the Durham coast, every price shown up front. Come and see how much is on the doorstep.