Flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland became a State Party to the World Heritage Convention in 1984. With 35 inscribed properties, the country is one of the more prominent contributors to the World Heritage List. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th worldwide and 5th in Europe by number of World Heritage Sites. The majority of its sites are cultural properties, reflecting a strong emphasis on historical and architectural heritage. Some of these properties are shared with neighboring countries, demonstrating cooperation across borders in heritage conservation.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: May 29, 1984

Status: Ratification

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 2001-2005

Total of Mandate Years: 4

Total of Mandates: 1

WHC Electoral Group: I (Western Europe/North America)

World Heritage Sites in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (35)

Cultural: 29 | Natural: 5 | Mixed: 1

Map of World Heritage Sites

This interactive map shows the location of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

World Heritage Inscription Timeline

1986
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
1986
Durham Castle and Cathedral
1986
Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast
1986
Ironbridge Gorge
1986
St Kilda
1986
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
1986
Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
1987
Blenheim Palace
1987
City of Bath
1987
Frontiers of the Roman Empire
1987
Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church
1988
Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
1988
Henderson Island
1988
Tower of London
1995
Gough and Inaccessible Islands
1995
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
1997
Maritime Greenwich
1999
Heart of Neolithic Orkney
2000
Blaenavon Industrial Landscape
2000
Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda
2001
Derwent Valley Mills
2001
Dorset and East Devon Coast
2001
New Lanark
2001
Saltaire
2003
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
2006
Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
2009
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal
2015
Moravian Church Settlements
2015
The Forth Bridge
2016
Gorham's Cave Complex
2017
The English Lake District
2019
Jodrell Bank Observatory
2021
The Great Spa Towns of Europe
2021
The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales
2024
The Flow Country

Tentative World Heritage Sites (5)

  • City of York: historic urban core · submitted: September 13, 2023
  • Birkenhead Park, the pioneering People’s Park · submitted: September 13, 2023
  • East Atlantic Flyway: England East Coast Wetlands · submitted: September 13, 2023
  • Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas · submitted: September 13, 2023
  • Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof: the Zenith of Iron Age Shetland · submitted: September 13, 2023

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Official Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Continent: Europe

Subregion: Northern Europe

UNESCO Region: Europe and North America

Capital: London

Population (2024): 69,226,000

Land Area: 241,930 km²

Currency: British pound (GBP)

Country Data Sources

About States Parties

States Parties are countries that have joined the World Heritage Convention. They commit to identifying, nominating, and protecting properties of outstanding cultural or natural value on their territory. States Parties are also expected to monitor and report on the condition of inscribed sites.

World Heritage Insights

How Politics and Institutions Shape the UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage List is usually seen as a catalogue of the world’s most important cultural and natural places. Yet behind every inscription there is a structured decision process: countries must first join the Convention, run for a seat on the World Heritage Committee, prepare nominations through a fixed procedure, and finally obtain enough votes for inscription.

World Heritage Info

Background

Learn about UNESCO, the World Heritage Convention, Tentative Lists, and how World Heritage Sites are selected and preserved. Explore the history, structures, and processes that protect humanity’s cultural and natural treasures.

Last updated: August 16, 2026

Portions of this page are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset. Changes made. Original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE) is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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