There are 1,092 UNESCO World Heritage sites around the globe and 29 in the UK belonging to all the peoples of the world. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up the world’s heritage. Living in the North East and North Cumbria means having access to three of the world’s most incredible treasures right on your doorstep.
In 1986, Durham Cathedral and Castle was one of the very first to be designated a World Heritage Site, along with the Taj Mahal and Palace of Versailles. It is the “largest and finest” example of Norman architecture in England and vaulting of the cathedral was part of the advent of Gothic architecture.
In July 2017 the Lake District became the first national park in the UK to be granted the status. The UNESCO committee praised the area’s beauty, farming and the inspiration it had provided to artists and writers, including William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.
Hadrian’s Wall is one of England’s greatest landmarks leaving a lasting impression on any who visit, including writer George RR Martin who used it as inspiration for his own Wall in the bestselling books and hit TV series, Game of Thrones. The best-preserved frontier of the Roman Empire and the nation’s finest Roman monument, great stretches of the Wall remain intact in Northumberland. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.