UK Nominates Seven Sites for UNESCO World Heritage Status

UK Government Adds Five New Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, Bringing Total to Seven

The UK Government has updated its UNESCO World Heritage Sites tentative list with the addition of five new sites across the UK and Overseas Territories. The government plans to put forward all seven sites for UNESCO designation, as determined by the Tentative List, which is published roughly every ten years.

The list serves to identify sites with the highest potential for success and assists local authorities in developing their bids.

York Minster, showcasing Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Norman heritage, is one of the cultural sites on the tentative list. Birkenhead Park, which was established in 1847 as a project to bring greenery to urban spaces, has influenced parks across the world, including New York City’s Central Park. The East Atlantic Flyway, a migratory bird route over western Europe that passes through several UK counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent, has also been added to the list. Other sites include the Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas, which has been nominated for its marine biodiversity, and the Zenith of Iron Age Shetland, comprising three ancient settlements dating back several millennia.

Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson said: “We are confirming our support for some of the most enchanting heritage sites and breath-taking landscapes.”

Joining the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site designation offers successful locations international recognition and the opportunity to promote themselves on a global platform. Currently, the UK boasts 33 World Heritage Sites, such as Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall. Additionally, two sites that submitted their full nominations earlier this year remain on the tentative list. One of them is The Flow Country, an extensive region of peatland that stretches across Caithness and Sutherland in the northern part of Scotland.