Bamburgh Dunes are an region of coastal sand dunes with an area of of over 40 hectares situated around the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland, England at grid reference NU188350. The dunes which stand in the shadow of the impressive Bamburgh Castle have been a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1995 and is part of the North Northumberland Dunes Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The dunes have a rich diversity of flora and fauna and in places provide good examples of “climbing dunes” found where sand has been blown onto high ground adjacent to the beach. Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian processes. ... Bamburgh is a large village on the coast of Northumberland, England. ... Northumberland is a county in northern England. ... Bamburgh Castle Bamburgh Castle is an imposing castle located on the coast at Bamburgh in Northumberland, England. ... A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ... A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora. ...

The southern area of Bamburgh Dunes seen from Bamburgh Castle.

Bamburgh Dunes vary from open sandy beaches, through low ridges dominated by Marram grass, to more stable grass-covered dunes. These occur as a series of irregular parallel sand ridges and hummocks separated by hollows, which are seasonally wet. Some of the plant species include the Pyramidal orchid, Centaurium, sea sandwort and petalwort (which is on the List of endangered species in the British Isles) . The dunes are also rich in rare insect life, over 500 species have been identified including 15 rare species including a plant hopper (Dicranotropis divergens) a grass-mining fly (Opomyza punctata), and a shore fly (Psilopa marginella). Birds attracted to the dunes include Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, European Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Reed Bunting. In winter Short-eared Owl and Water Rail are also found. Species Ammophila arenaria Ammophila breviligulata Marram Grass or Beach Grass is a genus of two species of grass growing almost exclusively on coastal sand dunes, where rhizomes on its extensive root system allow it to survive in a very harsh and windswept ecosystem. ... Binomial name Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. ... Species see text Centaurium is a genus [older name Erythraea], containing about 50 species, in the Gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Chironieae, subtribe Chironiinae. ... This is a list of endangered and threatened animals of the British Isles. ... Binomial name Locustella naevia (Boddaert,, 1783) The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. ... Binomial name Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (Linnaeus,, 1758) The Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. ... Binomial name Saxicola rubicola (Linnaeus, 1766) The European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae. ... Binomial name Anthus pratensis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and Asia. ... Binomial name Emberiza schoeniclus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. ... Binomial name Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763) The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is in family Strigidae. ... Binomial name Rallus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) is a small wetland bird of the rail family. ...

Over the years more vigorous invasive plant species and scrub have encroached, making the dune system too stabilised and threatening the uniqueness of Bamburgh Dunes, most rare plant species appreciate the unstable and shifting structure of sand dunes. In an effort to counteract this, Bamburgh Castle Estate, English Nature, DEFRA, Northumberland County Council and Bamburgh Parish Council have come up with a plan of management which has resulted in cattle being allowed to graze the dunes since 2000 to break up the dominant grass cover. A fence has been erected to contain the cattle within the dunes, access by people is encouraged within the fenced area with stiles and gates sited on the main paths. English Nature is the United Kingdom Government Agency that promotes the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England. ... The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in England. ...

Bamburgh Dunes seen from the beach.

An ancient Anglo-Saxon 7th century burial ground was unearthed in the dunes to the south east of Bamburgh Castle during an archeological dig in 1998 by the Bamburgh Research Project. The burial ground, called the Bowl Hole, had been known to exist since 1816 when violent storms removed large amounts of dune sand and uncovered the site for a period. The BBC television programme “Meet the Ancestors” became involved during the dig and screened a programme about the finds in February 2001. The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, invariably known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of £4 billion. ...

References

• Bamburgh Dunes information board at site.
• Bamburgh Research Project, Bowl Hole dig.
• English Nature page on Bamburgh Dunes