Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site alongside 57 other unique UNESCO sites in the UK and crown dependencies have been featured in a newly illustrated map by artist Tom Woolley.
From mountain ranges and coastlines to vibrant cities and rural landscapes – the UK’s UNESCO sites are destinations of world-class natural and cultural heritage. For the first time a map, designed by the cartographer Tom Woolley, brings together all of the Biosphere Reserves, Creative Cities, Global Geoparks and World Heritage Sites across the British Isles that are waiting to be discovered.
The new map released online includes 29 World Heritage Sites, 13 Creative Cities, nine Global Geoparks and seven Biosphere Reserves that cover 13% of the UK’s landmass. Most of the sites are free to enter and conveniently accessible by public transport offering the public new experiences to discover UNESCO sites in the UK and mark this summer with a visit to one of the world’s most special places.
At Maritime Greenwich, famous as the home of time and for the Royal Observatory Greenwich, visitors will enjoy a wealth of experiences and special events this summer including the ‘The Van de Veldes’ art exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich & Docklands International Festival and Secret Tours of the Wren Chapel Dome at the Old Royal Naval College.
James Bridge, Chief Executive and Secretary-General of the UK National Commission for UNESCO said, “This new ‘UNESCO in the UK’ map will inspire people for places to visit. It shows at a glance the breadth of amazing natural, cultural and built heritage designated by UNESCO as internationally significant in the UK. This great map highlights places to explore, on your doorstep and further afield, both the famous and those to discover for the first time.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “We are delighted to support this project which, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, will help to inspire more people to visit the fantastic UNESCO sites across the UK. Heritage has a huge role to play in bringing people together and any way that we can enable and inspire this to happen is hugely positive.”
Paddy Rodgers, Chair of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site Executive and Director of Royal Museums Greenwich said, “As one of the UK’s 29 remarkable World Heritage Sites, we are delighted to be featured on this fantastic map. We wholeheartedly support the UK National Commission for UNESCO in its mission to showcase the wide range of UNESCO designated sites in the UK, highlighting the richness of our nation’s superb cultural and natural offer and encouraging national and international visitors and local communities alike to embark on a voyage of discovery.”
The map was produced by the UK National Commission for UNESCO as part of its ‘Local to Global’ project, made possible with the GREAT Campaign and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players. ‘Local to Global’ aims to develop a resilient network for UNESCO Designated Sites in the UK. The map can be downloaded here.
Click here to discover more about Greenwich.
