United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been a State Party to the World Heritage Convention since 1984. With 35 inscribed properties, the country is one of the more prominent contributors to the World Heritage List. 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

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

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.

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

Links

UNESCO World Heritage Convention: State Party United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

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.

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