40 Years of World Heritage in the UK
April 14, 2026
November this year will see the 40th anniversary of inscriptions to the World Heritage List of the UK’s first World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage List started in 1978, and the UK signed up to the World Heritage Convention in 1984. Two years later, these seven international significant and important sites of cultural and natural heritage joined the likes of the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, the Pyramids, the Palace of Versailles, Florence and the Taj Mahal, which had already been inscribed.
The UK’s first World Heritage Sites were:
- Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
- Durham Castle and Cathedral
- Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast
- Ironbridge Gorge
- St Kilda
- Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
- Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
These seven Sites represent iconic heritage from across all four home nations and across the World Heritage categories of Cultural, Natural and Mixed.
Starting with 18 April’s World Heritage Day and running through the year up to November, these Sites will be celebrating their place on the world’s best of cultural and natural heritage. Watch these pages for more news on how you can explore each and every one of these special places.
Images: Left column – Stonehenge (Stonehenge & Avebury WHS), St Kilda (National Trust for Scotland) & Studley Royal (National Trust); middle column – Giant’s Causeway (gluseppe-milo), Ironbridge Gorge (Ironbridge WHS), Castles of Edward I (Cadw); right column – Durham Castle & Cathedral (Graeme Peacock)