The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. [1] There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales, as part of the 33 in the United Kingdom (UK) and the British Overseas Territories. [2]
The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (named after the then larger Gwynedd county) was the first site designated exclusively within Wales and alongside the other six sites in the United Kingdom first designated in 1986. [3] Whereas the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is Wales's and the UK's newest site designated on 28 July 2021. [4] All of the World Heritage Sites in Wales are designated as "cultural". [5]
Ratification of the constitution of UNESCO was performed by the UK in 1946. [6] The United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO advises the UK Government, which is overall responsible for maintaining World Heritage Sites across the UK, on policies regarding UNESCO. [7] The UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the responsible department representing the UK's general compliance with the convention to UNESCO. [8] Nominating sites and co-ordinating directly to UNESCO is reserved to the UK Government, however the powers to oversee, protect and manage historic sites is devolved to Wales. Cadw, on behalf of the Welsh Government, is responsible to identify, submit and discuss potential World Heritage Site contenders or concerns over existing sites to the DCMS for review, as well as Wales's specific compliance to the convention in regards to local protection policy. Local authorities in Wales, through their spatial planning systems, have the responsibilities to oversee any potentially inappropriate development near World Heritage Sites and to develop local protection plans for the sites, if appropriate. [9] [10] [11] [12]
UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria under either "cultural" or "natural". Criteria i through vi are "cultural", which applies to all of Wales's sites. [13]
Site | Image | Location | Year listed | UNESCO data | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blaenavon Industrial Landscape | Blaenavon [14] | 2000 | 984; 2000; iii, iv [14] | In the 19th century, Wales was the world's foremost producer of iron and coal. Blaenavon is an example of the landscape created by the industrial processes associated with the production of these materials. The site includes quarries, public buildings, workers' housing, and a railway. [14] | |
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd | Conwy, Isle of Anglesey and Gwynedd [15] | 1986 | 374; 1986; i, iii, iv [15] | During the reign of Edward I of England (1272–1307), a series of castles was constructed in Wales with the purpose of subduing the population and establishing English colonies in Wales. The World Heritage Site covers many castles including Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech. The castles of Edward I are considered the pinnacle of military architecture by military historians. [15] [16] | |
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal | Trevor, Wrexham and Shropshire, England [17] | 2009 | 1303; 2009; i, ii, iv [17] | The aqueduct was built to carry the Ellesmere Canal over the Dee Valley. Completed during the Industrial Revolution and designed by Scottish Engineer Thomas Telford, the aqueduct made innovative use of cast and wrought iron, influencing civil engineering across the world. [17] [18] The heritage site extends into Shropshire in England. [19] | |
The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales | Gwynedd | 2021 | 1633; 2021; ii, v [20] | The six key areas, all located in Gwynedd, are: Penrhyn Slate Quarry and Bethesda, and the Ogwen Valley to Port Penrhyn; Dinorwig Slate Quarry Mountain Landscape; Nantlle Valley Slate Quarry Landscape; Gorseddau and Prince of Wales Slate Quarries, Railways and Mill; Ffestiniog: its Slate Mines and Quarries, 'city of slates' and Railway to Porthmadog; Bryneglwys Slate Quarry, Abergynolwyn Village and the Talyllyn Railway. [21] |
Caernarfon is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852. It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the island of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is 8.6 miles (13.8 km) to the north-east, while Snowdonia (Eryri) fringes Caernarfon to the east and south-east.
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
Cadw is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. Cadw works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage sites of Wales, to make them available for the public to visit, enjoy, and understand their significance. Cadw manages 127 state-owned properties and sites. It arranges events at its managed properties, provides lectures and teaching sessions, offers heritage walks, and hosts an online shop. Members of the public can become members of Cadw to gain membership privileges.
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, Cadw in Wales, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in Northern Ireland. The classification schemes differ between England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The term has also been used in the Republic of Ireland, where buildings are protected under the Planning and Development Act 2000, although the statutory term in Ireland is "protected structure".
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire to the east and Shropshire to the south-east. Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd also shares a maritime boundary with Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, a slightly different area had a county council, with local government functions shared with six district councils. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished, and the new principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire. The name, which was coined in the 1980s, is a modern designation for parts of the historic Ellesmere Canal and the Llangollen navigable feeder, both of which became part of the Shropshire Union Canals in 1846.
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen in northeast Wales.
Horseshoe Falls is a weir on the River Dee near Llantysilio Hall in Denbighshire, Wales, about 5 kilometres (3 mi) north-west of the town of Llangollen.
Wrexham County Borough is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire and Shropshire to the east and south-east respectively, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the north-west. The city of Wrexham is the administrative centre. The county borough is part of the preserved county of Clwyd.
North Wales is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in the north-east and northern coastal areas, with significant Welsh-speaking populations in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.
Aberffraw is a village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. The village is 9 miles from the island's capital, Llangefni, and is located is on the west bank of the Afon Ffraw. The community includes Soar and Dothan. Located near the A4080 and the nearest rail station is Bodorgan.
Chirk Aqueduct is a 70-foot (21 m) high and 710-foot (220 m) long navigable aqueduct that carries what is now the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley near Chirk, on the England-Wales border, spanning the two countries.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Wales:
Wales, a country that is part of the United Kingdom, contains protected areas under various designations. The largest designation by land area is Wales' three national parks, followed by the five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
This is a timeline of Welsh history, comprising important legal and territorial changes, and political events in Wales.
The archaeology of Wales is the study of human occupation within the country of Wales which has been occupied by modern humans since 225,000 BCE, with continuous occupation from 9,000 BCE. Analysis of the sites, artefacts and other archaeological data within Wales details its complex social landscape and evolution from Prehistoric times to the Industrial period. This study is undertaken by academic institutions, consultancies, charities as well as government organisations.
Porth yr Aur is a Grade I listed 13th-century fortification in Caernarfon which forms part of Caernarfon Castle's medieval defences. Originally known as the West gate it was the main seaward entrance to the walled town. The building has been the home of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club since 1854. Porth yr Aur forms part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd UNESCO world heritage site.
The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) located in north-east Wales, covering the Clwydian Range, and the valley of the River Dee.
The Cefn (Newbridge) Viaduct is Grade II* listed railway viaduct across the River Dee between Cefn and Chirk communities in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The viaduct is near the villages of Cefn Mawr, Pentre and Newbridge. The viaduct forms the eastern boundary of Tŷ Mawr Country Park and is around a mile downstream of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.