UK World Heritage Sites There are currently 28 World Heritage Sites in the UK

World Heritage Site Nomination Process

The UK ratified the 1972 World Heritage Convention in 1984. According to the Convention, Governments are responsible for nominating sites in their country - drawn from a Tentative List of Future Nominations. Being on the Tentative List is a pre-requisite for nomination as a World Heritage Site. The UK’s Tentative List was drawn up in 1999 and contained 25 sites. A Review of the UK’s Tentative List initiated in 2007 is currently underway.

After a nomination is presented there is an 18-month period of evaluation by one of UNESCO’s expert advisers (IUCN for natural nominations and ICOMOS International for cultural), before a final decision is made by the World Heritage Committee at its annual meeting. 

UK Government’s Responsibility for World Heritage

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for the UK’s general compliance with the WH Convention and for nominating sites. The devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are responsible for choosing sites to forward as nominations to DCMS.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for forwarding nominations in the UK’s territories and the Home Office for Crown Dependencies. 

World Heritage Policy Review

DCMS is leading a policy review to ensure that outstanding heritage sites in the UK, its Dependencies and Territories are appropriately identified, protected and promoted. As part of this review it has commissioned Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP (PwC) to undertake a comprehensive study into the costs and benefits associated with World Heritage Site status in the UK.

The study is being delivered in two phases, with an initial scoping phase and literature review to be followed by a series of case study assessments and wider surveying at some of the existing UK sites. In parallel DCMS shall be looking at wider issues relating to the identification, protection and promotion of World Heritage Sites, assisted by a new Advisory Group representing the interests of local authorities and various heritage bodies. Once this initial analysis is complete DCMS will then engage the public more widely in a consultation on future approach to World Heritage. Should DCMS decide following this consultation to draw up a new Tentative List, it would expect to invite applications from potential sites in 2008.

28 World Heritage Sites

By Type		By Geography
Cultural:    22 Natural:      5 Mixed:        1 Total:       28		England:                  17 Scotland:                  5 Wales:                     2 Northern Ireland:          1 Overseas Territories:      3 Total:                    28

Site
Durham Cathedral and Castle Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan: being drafted	Edinburgh Old and New Towns Year inscribed: 1996 Management Plan
Fountains Abbey, St Mary’s Church and Studley Royal Park Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan: to come	Gough island Wildlife Reserve, South Atlantic Ocean ** Year inscribed: 1996 Management Plan: to come
Ironbridge Gorge Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan	Maritime Greenwich Year inscribed: 1997 Management Plan
Stonehenge, Avebury and associated sites Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan: Avebury  Stonehenge	Heart of Neolithic Orkney Year inscribed: 1999 Management Plan
Blenheim Palace and Park Year inscribed: 1987 Management Plan	Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications Bermuda Year inscribed: 2000 Management Plan: to come
Palace of Westminster, St Margaret’s Church and Westminster Abbey Year inscribed: 1987 Management Plan	Blaenavon Industrial Landscape Year inscribed: 2000 Management Plan
City of Bath Year inscribed: 1987 Management Plan	Dorset and East Devon Coast ** Year inscribed: 2001 Management Plan
Hadrian’s Wall Year inscribed: 1987, 2005 Management Plan	Derwent Valley Mills Year inscribed: 2001 Management Plan
The Tower of London Year inscribed: 1989 Management Plan	New Lanark Year inscribed: 2001 Management Plan
Canterbury Cathedral (with St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church) Year inscribed: 1988 Management Plan	Saltaire Year inscribed: 2001 Management Plan
Castle and Town Walls of Edward I in Gwynedd Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Year inscribed: 2003 Management Plan
St Kilda *** Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan	Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City Year inscribed: 2004 Management Plan
Giant’s Causeway and Causeway coast ** Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan	Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape Year inscribed: 2006 Management Plan: to come
Henderson Island, South Pacific Ocean ** Year inscribed: 1986 Management Plan	Antonine Wall - extension of the trans-national Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site Year inscribed: 2008 Management Plan: to come

**  Natural Sites
*** Mixed Site