About World Heritage Sites

The concept of World Heritage Sites is at the core of the World Heritage Convention.

This was adopted in 1972 by UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), to which 193 nations belong. Through the convention, UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage sites around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.

The convention required the establishment of a World Heritage List managed by an inter-governmental World Heritage Committee. Sites awarded World Heritage Status are added to this list, and it’s a way of recognising that some places – both natural and cultural – are important enough to be the responsibility of the international community as a whole.

As a member of the convention, ‘state parties’ (national governments e.g. UK Government) have pledged to care for their World Heritage Sites as part of protecting their national heritage.

Nominations for inscription on the World Heritage List are made by the appropriate state parties and are subject to rigorous evaluation by expert advisers to the World Heritage Committee – for example the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) for cultural sites, or the World Conservation Union (IUCN) for natural sites.

Decisions on the selection of new World Heritage Sites are taken by the World Heritage Committee at its annual summer meetings. As at July 2009 there are 890 World Heritage Sites in 148 state parties.

Inclusion on the World Heritage List does not bring a prize or money with it. It is essentially an honour. It leaves the existing rights and obligations of owners, occupiers and planning authorities unaffected. Before being given World Heritage Status, a site must be shown to have effective statutory protection and a comprehensive management plan agreed with the owners to ensure its conservation and presentation.

The United Kingdom, its dependencies and overseas territories form an official state party. It’s World Heritage Sites range from cultural sites like Ironbridge Gorge and Stonehenge, to natural sites such as Giant’s Causeway. There are also mixed sites such as St. Kilda (a dual natural and cultural site).

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal has become the UK’s 28th World Heritage Site, and is only the third World Heritage Site inscription in Wales – the other two being the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd and Blaenavon Industrial Landscape.

The UK is limited by UNESCO to putting forward one nomination each year. Recent UK nominations include:

Year bid submitted Site nominated Year inscribed
2001 Dorset and East Devon Coast, England 2002
2002 Kew Gardens, England 2003
2003 NO APPLICATION 2004
2004 Liverpool Maritime City, England 2005
2005 Cornwall Mining, England 2006
2006 Darwin’s Downe House, England Withdrawn
2007 The Antonine Wall, Scotland 2008
2008 Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, Wales & England 2009

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