Supporting Neptune

Our success so far

Neptune is a staggering success, and is quite simply the most successful conservation appeal of all time:

• Since its launch in 1965, the campaign has raised over £67 million
• The campaign has grown the National Trust's coastal holdings from 187 miles to over 710 miles
• The acquisitions include hundreds of thousands of acres of hinterland that protect the coastal strip.

Our History

Back in 1895 a generous supporter Fanny Talbot gave a rocky outcrop of land above Barmouth in North Wales to the newly formed National Trust. Our founder Octavia Hill is reported to have said, "Our first piece of land - I wonder if it will be our last."

In the late 50s and early 60s our country's coastline was rapidly changing, thanks to public holidays, the growth in car ownership and leisure time. Villages were becoming towns, towns becoming cities, and caravan parks were springing up everywhere. A bright young university lecturer called Dr John Whittow decided to get his students to map the coastline for the Trust to find out what was happening. The results were staggering. Through development or neglect, land was disappearing at the rate of six or more miles a year.

From this survey Neptune was born. Mile upon mile of coastline was acquired through donations, gifts of land and legacies. Coastal estates formed like jigsaws across the country, such as Golden Cap. We are now the envy of many countries that have seen their own coastlines disappear under development.

Our supporters

Passion is what drives our supporters. Their passion has bought rocky outcrops, havens for birds, beaches, caves and cliffs. It has helped us come so very far since our launch back in 1965.

But Neptune's journey is far from over. We face the new challenge of climate change, and many old threats still remain. Every time that new land comes up for purchase, we still compete with developers. But once the National Trust has acquired coastline, it is declared inalienable, which means it cannot be bought or sold except by an Act of Parliament.

There is so much still to do. We have more coastline to acquire, more tales to tell, more livelihoods to protect and more challenges to face. We need to adapt our coastline to shifting shorelines. We need to connect more people to our great outdoors by making coastline and its history more accessible.

If you are reading this you may well already be a supporter of our campaign. Thank you for all your support, and if you are new to Neptune, I hope our story will inspire you to support our work over the coming years and decades. The coastline wraps itself around our hearts, it reminds us of childhood holidays, day trips and time with those we love. It refreshes us and gives us beauty and peace. Let's continue to save and maintain this special place together!