The site occupies the incised valley of Hawthorn Burn and extends from just south of the village of Hawthorn eastward as far as the Durham Coast railway line: the area between the railway line and the sea forms part of the Durham Coast SSSI.

Much of the area consists of semi-natural and relatively undisturbed woodland that has developed on Magnesian Limestone; within Durham, only Castle Eden Dene SSSI has a larger area under this type of vegetation.

Another notable feature is the occurrence of yew, Taxus baccata, on the lower valley slopes, this being rare in Britain.

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