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UNESCO World Heritage Sites in United Kingdom
British World Heritage Sites · UNESCO sites in United Kingdom map · historical landmarks in United Kingdom
United Kingdom has 35 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List — 29 cultural, 5 natural and 1 mixed inscriptions, inscribed between 1986 and 2024. This map of UNESCO sites in United Kingdom covers every listing, with a short description, the inscription year and the nearest airports — the fastest way to see the country's most important historical sites and landmarks in one place.
British World Heritage Sites range from Blaenavon Industrial Landscape onwards; Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd was the country's first inscription, added in 1986; The Flow Country is the most recent, listed in 2024; recurring threads across the list include ancient civilizations, sacred places and wild places.
2 inscriptions are transnational, shared with neighbouring countries: Moravian Church Settlements and The Great Spa Towns of Europe. Start with Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, Blenheim Palace and Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church, then use the map above to plan a route between the rest.
- Sites
- 35
- Cultural
- 29
- Natural
- 5
- Mixed
- 1
- First inscribed
- 1986
Sites on the map
Inscriptions United Kingdom shares with other countries are not plotted here — you will find them in the list below.
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Flying in
Airports closest to the most sites in this country.
- LPLLiverpool3 sites
- LCYLondon3 sites
- EDIIngliston, Edinburgh3 sites
- LBALeeds, West Yorkshire2 sites
- SOUSouthampton2 sites
- CWLCardiff1 site
Prints from United Kingdom
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All 35 sites in United Kingdom
List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in United Kingdom
Every inscription with its year and category. Open a site for its story, map location and nearest airports.
| Site | Year | Type | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaenavon Industrial LandscapeThe area around Blaenavon is evidence of the pre-eminence of South Wales as the world's major producer of iron and coal… | 2000 | Cultural | The area around Blaenavon is evidence of the pre-eminence of South Wales as the world's major producer of iron and coal in the 19th century. |
| Blenheim PalaceBlenheim Palace, near Oxford, stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener 'Capability' Brown. | 1987 | Cultural | Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener 'Capability' Brown. |
| Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's ChurchCanterbury, in Kent, has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centurie. | 1988 | Cultural | Canterbury, in Kent, has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centurie. |
| Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in GwyneddThe castles of Beaumaris and Harlech (largely the work of the greatest military engineer of the time, James of St… | 1986 | Cultural | The castles of Beaumaris and Harlech (largely the work of the greatest military engineer of the time, James of St George) and the fortified complexes… |
| City of BathFounded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages. | 1987 | Cultural | Founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages. |
| Cornwall and West Devon Mining LandscapeMuch of the landscape of Cornwall and West Devon was transformed in the 18th and early 19th centuries as a result of… | 2006 | Cultural | Much of the landscape of Cornwall and West Devon was transformed in the 18th and early 19th centuries as a result of the rapid growth of pioneering… |
| Derwent Valley MillsThe Derwent Valley in central England contains a series of 18th- and 19th- century cotton mills and an industrial… | 2001 | Cultural | The Derwent Valley in central England contains a series of 18th- and 19th- century cotton mills and an industrial landscape of high historical and… |
| Dorset and East Devon CoastThe cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock format. | 2001 | Natural | The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock format. |
| Durham Castle and CathedralDurham Cathedral was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries to house the relics of St Cuthbert (evangelizer of… | 1986 | Cultural | Durham Cathedral was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries to house the relics of St Cuthbert (evangelizer of Northumbria) and the… |
| Giant's Causeway and Causeway CoastThe Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Nort. | 1986 | Natural | The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Nort. |
| Gorham's Cave ComplexThe steep limestone cliffs on the eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar contain four caves with archaeological. | 2016 | Cultural | The steep limestone cliffs on the eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar contain four caves with archaeological. |
| Gough and Inaccessible IslandsThe site, located in the south Atlantic, is one of the least-disrupted island and marine ecosystems in the cool… | 1995 | Natural | The site, located in the south Atlantic, is one of the least-disrupted island and marine ecosystems in the cool temperate zone. |
| Heart of Neolithic OrkneyThe group of Neolithic monuments on Orkney consists of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles… | 1999 | Cultural | The group of Neolithic monuments on Orkney consists of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and… |
| Henderson IslandHenderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls in the world whose ecology has been… | 1988 | Natural | Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls in the world whose ecology has been practically untouched by a… |
| Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, BermudaThe Town of St George, founded in 1612, is an outstanding example of the earliest English urban settlement in the New… | 2000 | Cultural | The Town of St George, founded in 1612, is an outstanding example of the earliest English urban settlement in the New World. |
| Ironbridge GorgeIronbridge is known throughout the world as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution. | 1986 | Cultural | Ironbridge is known throughout the world as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution. |
| Jodrell Bank ObservatoryLocated in a rural area of northwest England, free from radio interference, Jodrell Bank is one of the world's leading… | 2019 | Cultural | Located in a rural area of northwest England, free from radio interference, Jodrell Bank is one of the world's leading radio astronomy observatories. |
| Maritime GreenwichThe ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, an outlying district of London, and the park in which they are set, symbolize… | 1997 | Cultural | The ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, an outlying district of London, and the park in which they are set, symbolize English artistic and scientific… |
| Moravian Church SettlementsThis transnational serial property comprises four congregational settlements in four countries representing the… | 2015 | Cultural | This transnational serial property comprises four congregational settlements in four countries representing the transnational scope and consistency… |
| New LanarkNew Lanark is a small 18th- century village set in a sublime Scottish landscape where the philanthropist and Utopian… | 2001 | Cultural | New Lanark is a small 18th- century village set in a sublime Scottish landscape where the philanthropist and Utopian idealist Robert Owen moulded a… |
| Old and New Towns of EdinburghEdinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. | 1995 | Cultural | Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. |
| Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s ChurchWestminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is a fine example of neo-Gothi. | 1987 | Cultural | Westminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is a fine example of neo-Gothi. |
| Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and CanalSituated in north-eastern Wales, the 18 kilometre long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal is a feat of civil engineering… | 2009 | Cultural | Situated in north-eastern Wales, the 18 kilometre long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal is a feat of civil engineering of the Industrial Revolution… |
| Royal Botanic Gardens, KewThis historic landscape garden features elements that illustrate significant periods of the art of gardens from the… | 2003 | Cultural | This historic landscape garden features elements that illustrate significant periods of the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th centuries. |
| SaltaireSaltaire, West Yorkshire, is a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. | 2001 | Cultural | Saltaire, West Yorkshire, is a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. |
| St KildaThis volcanic archipelago, with its spectacular landscapes, is situated off the coast of the Hebrides and comprises the… | 1986 | Mixed | This volcanic archipelago, with its spectacular landscapes, is situated off the coast of the Hebrides and comprises the islands of Hirta, Dun, Soay… |
| StonehengePrehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain. | 1986 | Cultural | Prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain. |
| Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated SitesStonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. | 1986 | Cultural | Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. |
| Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains AbbeyIn the 18th century a designed landscape of exceptional beauty was created around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains… | 1986 | Cultural | In the 18th century a designed landscape of exceptional beauty was created around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey, in Yorkshire. |
| The English Lake DistrictLocated in northwest England, the English Lake District is a mountainous area, whose valleys have been modelled by… | 2017 | Cultural | Located in northwest England, the English Lake District is a mountainous area, whose valleys have been modelled by glaciers in the Ice Age and… |
| The Flow CountryThe serial property, located in the Highland Region of Scotland, is considered the most outstanding example of an… | 2024 | Natural | The serial property, located in the Highland Region of Scotland, is considered the most outstanding example of an actively accumulating blanket bog… |
| The Forth BridgeThis railway bridge, crossing the Forth estuary in Scotland, had the world’s longest spans ( 541 m ) when i t opened in… | 2015 | Cultural | This railway bridge, crossing the Forth estuary in Scotland, had the world’s longest spans ( 541 m ) when i t opened in 1890 . |
| The Great Spa Towns of EuropeThis transnational serial property comprises eleven spa towns, located in seven European countries: Baden bei Wien… | 2021 | Cultural | This transnational serial property comprises eleven spa towns, located in seven European countries: Baden bei Wien (Austria); Spa (Belgium)… |
| The Slate Landscape of Northwest WalesThe Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales illustrates the transformation that industrial slate quarrying and mining… | 2021 | Cultural | The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales illustrates the transformation that industrial slate quarrying and mining brought about in the traditional… |
| Tower of LondonThe massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the ki. | 1988 | Cultural | The massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the ki. |
Frequently asked questions about World Heritage in United Kingdom
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are there in United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom has 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 29 cultural, 5 natural and 1 mixed.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in United Kingdom?
- Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd was inscribed in 1986. The castles of Beaumaris and Harlech (largely the work of the greatest military engineer of the time, James of St George) and the fortified complexes of…
- What is the newest World Heritage Site in United Kingdom?
- The Flow Country, inscribed in 2024. The serial property, located in the Highland Region of Scotland, is considered the most outstanding example of an actively accumulating blanket bog landscape.
- Which sites in United Kingdom are natural World Heritage Sites?
- 5 of the 35 listings are natural: Dorset and East Devon Coast, Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast, Gough and Inaccessible Islands, Henderson Island and The Flow Country.
- Which UNESCO sites in United Kingdom are easiest to reach?
- Each site page lists the closest airports with distance, so you can pick the gateway city first and work outwards. The "Flying in" panel on this page shows the main gateways for United Kingdom.
- What are the main historical sites and landmarks in United Kingdom?
- The 35 UNESCO-listed sites above are United Kingdom's internationally recognised historical sites and landmarks, starting with Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (1986). Each entry links to a full page with a map, photos and travel notes.
- Is there a map of British World Heritage Sites?
- Yes — the map on this page plots all 35 British UNESCO World Heritage Sites; click any marker to open that site's page.