World Heritage:

Conservation Efforts in the United Kingdom and Ireland

By Jeanine Riss

 

Abstract

            The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) strive to advance the fields of human and social science, natural science and culture.  Under the theme of culture they have created the World Heritage List which encompasses those properties which exhibit unique cultural or natural merit and possess a common heritage for humanity.  As members of the World Heritage Convention, the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland stand counted among the many nations who shoulder the responsibility for the conservation of not only the natural and cultural treasures within their borders, but support the preservation of the world’s natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations.

 

Introduction

The preservation of our natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations is an obligation dutifully accepted by the many conscientious nations who consider their national treasures to be of momentous value, not only to themselves, but to humanity.  No where more so is this obligation to conserve the natural and human wrought wonders within their boundaries felt than in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.  Both have organizations with the sole purpose of protecting their natural and cultural heritage from their Neolithic stone monuments to magnificent stone cathedrals to the stone record of the history of the Earth.  One of the most influential conservation organizations worldwide is UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.  As a member of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland have the assistance and protection of one of the leading conservation forces in the world.

UNESCO and World Heritage

            UNESCO’s foundations were laid in the last years of the Second World War.  Several European countries came together in 1942 in the United Kingdom for the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME).  They were seeking to reestablish methods of education once the war ended.  In London, on November 16, 1945 a conference was held by the United Nations to create an organization for the promotion of culture, education and peace in hopes of preventing further world conflict.  It was attended by representatives from forty four countries.  Thirty seven of the forty four countries established the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.  The constitution, signed that November and was ratified a year later in November 1946 by twenty countries including the United Kingdom and the United States.  UNESCO’s first general conference (figure 1) was held that Nov/Dec. 1946 with representatives from thirty nations (UNESCO 2006).

                         

The opening of UNESCO's first General Conference at the Sorbonne, Paris (20 November to 10 December 1946).

© UNESCO/Eclair Mondial

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1.  Courtesy of UNESCO.

UNESCO’s mission is many fold.  It is fundamental in the advancement of education, the natural sciences, the human and social sciences, communication, information and culture.  Under the theme of culture is found the subject of World Heritage.  World Heritage is the preservation of both cultural and natural places that embody universal merit for all humanity.  To be a designated a World Heritage Site is to be part of 812 unique localities that are deemed to be of significant importance to humanity, both present and future.  World Heritage Sites are divided into three categories: natural, cultural and a combination of both natural and cultural or mixed properties.  Currently there are 160 natural, 628 cultural and 24 mixed World Heritage Sites (Figure 2).

 

 Figure 2. World Heritage map courtesy of UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

 

Once an area of interest is accepted to the World Heritage list and the country of origin ratifies the World Heritage Convention, it receives the protection and assistance of UNESCO (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006). 

UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972 (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).  The World Heritage Convention recognizes the intrinsic link between humanity and nature and the necessity to conserve the natural world in order to advance the benefits we receive through our connection with nature and to preserve the natural world in its own right.  It also recognizes the significance of our diverse cultural heritage.  Diversity of culture enhances individuals and when brought together strengthens humanity as a whole.  To preserve sites of cultural importance provides a sense of continuity and unity of purpose as well as a connection to history for the people of that culture, at the same time allowing the world to partake of the richness of human endeavors from ages past. 

            The World Heritage Convention emerged from the union of two distinct movements, those of nature conservation and preservation of culturally important locations.  A momentous event took place in 1959 that brought together these two ideals.  A proposal was put forth in that year to build the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.  The construction of this dam would have destroyed the Abu Simbel temples, one of Egypt’s and the world’s greatest treasures.  UNESCO was entreated to intervene in order to safeguard this cultural wonder.  After intense research and donations from over 50 countries, the temples were dismantled and moved to a save location.  This act demonstrated the importance of preserving cultural heritage, not just for the nation of origin, but for the world.  From this episode emerged a draft of a convention for the protection of natural and cultural heritage, initiated by UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) for the preservation of cultural heritage.  Later at a White House conference in 1965 there was a motion for a World Heritage Trust to encourage international cooperation in the protection of natural and historic areas.  The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) drafted similar recommendations in 1968.  In 1972 they were presented to the United Nations at a conference on Human Environment (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).  The World Heritage Convention, first drafted in 1972, was then ratified by 180 States Parties in 1979 (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).  The Convention works to protect approximately 140 million hectacres of natural and culturally significant sites (Henderson, personal communication). 

            UNESCO’s goal in regards to the preservation of our cultural and natural heritage is comprehensive.  It advocates participation of all nations in the World Heritage Convention in order to safeguard our natural and cultural heritage.  It seeks to inspire States Parties (those countries that adhere to the World Heritage Convention) to nominate potential sites within their national boundaries.  UNESCO will provide training and technical assistance to better protect vulnerable sites and will work with States Parties to promote management plans for the conservation of World Heritage properties.  UNESCO will also supply emergency aid for those sites in imminent danger.  It seeks to raise public awareness in issues of conservation and to engage the indigenous population in the management of their own unique heritage (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).

            For a property to be considered for inclusion onto the World Heritage List a nation must first have signed the World Heritage Convention and by doing so commit to preserving their natural and cultural heritage.  The First step in the nomination process is for the country to make an inventory or “Tentative List” of the significant cultural or natural locations within their borders.  These sites may be submitted for inscription within five to ten years.  Second, the States Party submits a nomination file with appropriate documentation and maps for those sites on the Tentative List.  After receiving the nomination file the World Heritage Centre submits it for evaluation to the appropriate Advisory Bodies (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006). 

            The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) evaluates prospective cultural properties (Khatwa 2006).  ICOMOS was founded in Poland in 1965.  Its goal is to promote the “conservation, protection, rehabilitation and enhancement of monuments, groups of buildings and sites, at the national and international level” (ICOMOS 2005).  It acts as an advisory committee to UNESCO on cultural or mixed sites put forth for consideration for World Heritage status.  The ICOMOS committee for the United Kingdom was formed in 1965.  It seeks to offer a voice to those concerned with preserving cultural heritage.  It helps to promote research, education and training in the field of conservation and supports the World Heritage Convention in the United Kingdom (ICOMOS 2005).  The World Conservation Union evaluates natural site candidates (Khatwa 2006).  Founded in 1948 as the International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN), it changed its title in 1956 to what we now know as the IUCN or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.  Known more simply as the World Conservation Union it is a multicultural organization with representatives in 62 countries.  Its mission is to help countries “conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable” (World Conservation Union 2006).  The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) is an intergovernmental agency that advises on the conservation of cultural properties (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).  The proposal to create such an organization was first adopted at the UNESCO General Conference in 1956.  Today it is made up of 110 Member States which serve the international community, helping to conserve the world’s cultural heritage (ICCROM 2005).  The application process can take up to ten years, eight or nine of which are for document preparation (Khatwa 2006).

Once a year the World Heritage Committee decides which sites will be afforded World Heritage status.  A submitted property must meet one of ten selection criteria to become a World Heritage Site.  They are as follows:

 

 i.        “to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

ii.        to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;

iii.        to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

iv.        to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

v.        to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;

vi.        to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);

vii.        to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

viii.        to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;

ix.        to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

x.        to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation” (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).

 

 

There is another aspect to being part of the World Heritage List.  When an

existing inscribed property is in danger of losing those qualities which made it worthy of World Heritage status it may be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.  Whether through natural disaster, war, urbanization, tourism or pollution sites may be in imminent or potential danger of losing those characteristics for which they were prized.  By being placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger this allows the World Heritage Fund to offer immediate assistance and to garner attention from the international community in order to preserve the endangered site in a timely and efficient manner.  In conjunction with the State Party of the property concerned, the World Heritage Committee can develop a plan of corrective action in order to preserve the site.  If the problems for which a site was placed on the List in Danger go uncorrected, the World Heritage Committee may elect to remove it from the World Heritage List.  To date this option has not been applied (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).

World Heritage in England and Ireland

Although the United Kingdom left UNESCO in 1984 due to a change in the political agenda, it returned in 1994 (Khatwa 2006).  The U.K. currently has twenty six World Heritage Sites, twenty one of which are cultural and five are natural (ICOMOS 2005).  Along the southern coast of England, from Dorset to East Devon, has been designated as England’s first natural World Heritage Site (Jurassic Coast 2006).  It gained World Heritage status in November 2001 (Khatwa 2006).  Known as the Jurassic Coast, it encompasses an area of some 2550ha, predominately coastal cliffs, and stretches approximately 155km (Figure 3).  It runs between Orcombe Rocks, Exmouth, East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset (ICOMOS 2005). 

Figure 3.  Map of Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, Southern England.  Courtesy of JurassicCoast.com.

 

            The primary significance as a World Heritage Site comes from the area’s almost continuous geologic formations documenting the Mesozoic Era or approximately 185 million years of our planet’s history.  The strata exposed along this section of England’s coast dip slightly to the east resulting in older strata to the west and progressively younger rocks to the east (Figure 4). 

Figure 4. Example of geologic conditions of the Jurassic Coast.  Courtesy of JurassicCoast.com.

 

The exposure by continued erosion and easy access to outcroppings in such sequential order has made the Jurassic Coast of paramount importance to the study of earth sciences for the past 300 years (Jurassic Coast 2006).  There are 6 specific aspects endemic to the site that justifies its World Heritage status.  Its unique geology showcases 185 millions years of Earth history.  A tremendous wealth of fossils (Figure 5) documenting a wide range of species provides “evidence of major changes in the pattern of life on Earth” (Jurassic Coast 2006).  The exceptional examples of geomorphologic features and processes (Figure 6) provides numerous opportunities for study and ongoing research and the area as a whole as been of supreme importance in establishing the era of modern geology. 

                                            

Figure 5. Ammonite fossil.                          Figure 6. Lulworth Crumple/Stair Hole

Lulworth Cove, Dorset England

Courtesy of JurassicCoast.com

 

 

It is also an area of extreme aesthetic beauty (Figure 7) with a natural undeveloped coastline and

 

rural countryside (Jurassic Coast 2006).

 

                       

Figure 7.  Near Durdle Door, St. Oswalds Bay,

Dorset, England

 

            In the category of cultural sites the United Kingdom boasts such wonders as Stonehenge, The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the city of Bath (ICOMOS 2005).  Bath was inscribed to the World Heritage list in 1987 under the theme of urban landscape and continuity (World Heritage Site 2006).  Its roman archeological history, Georgian architecture and city planning and integration with the natural landscape are contributing factors to its World Heritage status (Bath and Northeast Sommerset 2005).  Two of Bath’s most notable cultural contributions are its Roman Bathes and Abbey Church.  The cultural importance of Bath began long before the Romans entered Britain in 43 A.D.  The Celts worshipped the Goddess Sulis at the now famous hot springs around 700 B.C. The Romans began construction of the bathes at what they called Aquae Sulis around 60-70 A.D (Figures 8-9).  Throughout the centuries the bathes have continued to be a center for social exchange, worship and healing lending Bath its particular history and identity (ICOMOS 2005).                                                  

   

 Figure 8-9.  Romans Bathes and Mosaic Tiles.  Bath England.  

First founded by the Anglo-Saxon around 757 A.D., Bath Abbey has seen several restorations.  A Norman cathedral was begun in 1090.  The present church was started in 1499, but suffered ruin under Henry IIIV in 1539 during the dissolution.  Major restoration was begun in the 1860s, but the Abbey again suffered damage when Bath was bombed in 1942.  The Abbey (Figures 10-11) was again restored from 1991-2000 (Bath Abbey 2006).                                                                      

         

Figure 10-11.  Bath Abbey, Bath England.

            Other attributes establishing Bath’s cultural significance was its reputation as a fashionable destination in Georgian England.  Also its innovative architecture utilizing native limestone was designed to blend naturally with the surrounding landscape and well-known architect John Wood designed many of Bath’s structures.  Many authors of repute have made Bath their home, most notably being Jane Austin (City of Bath 1996).

            Ireland ratified the World Heritage Convention in September 1991 and currently has 2 World Heritage Sites (World Heritage Site 2006).  Skellig Michael (Figure 11) is a Christian monastic complex dating from the 7^th century located on a remote and rugged island off the coast of south-west Ireland.  It was inscribed on the List as an outstanding “example an early religious settlement” illustrating the “extremes of Christian monasticism” (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006). 

Figure 11. Skellig Michael, courtesy of UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The Archeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne became a World Heritage Site in 1993.  The passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth represent some of the world’s most spectacular examples of prehistoric megalithic art (Figure 12) and were the center of social, religious, funerary and economic life (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).

Figure 12.  Megalithic art from passage tomb.

Courtesy of UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

            There are several sites, both natural and cultural, on Ireland’s 1992 Tentative List.  Included is the Rock of Cashel and Killarney National Park.  Once the seat of the kings of Munster, the Rock of Cashel (Figure 13-14) has been an important setting for both religious and secular events throughout Ireland’s history.  From the 4^th century A.D. to the 17^th century, kings and ecclesiastics have added to this fortress/cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).

        

Figures 13-14.  Rock of Cashel, Ireland.

            Killarney National Park (Figure 15) is 10,129 ha of diverse ecosystems including wetlands, woodlands and moors.  It also contains Ireland’s highest mountain range at 840 meters.  Occupied since the Bronze Age, the area was also home to the Christian monks of St. Fionan whose surviving texts lend insight into early life in Ireland (UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006).              

Figure 15.  Killarney National Park, Ireland.

 

Other Conservation Efforts

Other designations for areas of conservation exist beside that of World Heritage Sites.  Sites of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI sites are assigned for the preservation of natural heritage.  In England there are over 4000 such sites, many of which have international significance for the wildlife they preserve.  Many are further designated as National or Local Nature Reserves, RAMSAR sites or Special Areas of Conservation (English Nature 2006).  It was the Nature Conservancy back in 1949 which assigned the first SSSI sites.  Given authority by the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 it is now the purview of English Nature to identify and protect, with the assistance of owners and land managers, those areas of biological, geological or physiographical interest (English Nature 2006).  English Nature’s mission is the enhancements of biodiversity, protection of wildlife in urban, rural, coastal or marine areas, promote recreation and the management of natural resources.  Through effective management practices they endeavor to conserve nature, improve the English landscape, promote access to the countryside for recreation and study, and preserve the natural environment for present and future generations through sustainable development (English Nature 2006).  There are approximately 1240 SSSI sites in England with a geologic focus.  English Nature has developed a Geological Conservation Strategy for the effective management of geologically important sites.  It is up to the Geological Conservation Review to determine which sites will be selected as an SSSI site.  Criteria include those areas which are of international geologic importance, that that represent a specific geological feature, process or event which provides insight into Britain’s geological history and those that contain exceptional features of scientific importance.  An example of such a site as well as part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is the cliffs of Charmouth (Figures 16-17) in Dorset, known for its rich fossil history (English Nature 2006).

          

 

Figures 16-17. Charmouth beach, England.

            Another designation is Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  These sites are chosen for their landscape qualities with the purpose of preserving their natural beauty.  Featured characteristics of conservation importance include flora, fauna, geological and landscape features and the history of human colonization of the area.  The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949 laid the foundations for protecting particularly beautiful and diverse countryside by designating it as an AONB.  The agency responsible for designating AONBs is The Countryside Agency.  There are 36 AONB sites in England (The Countryside Agency 2006).  One such site is Durlston Country Park (Figure 18) in Dorset.  Home to rare endemic wildlife such as the spider orchid and Blue Adonis butterfly and the ecological restoration of its wildlife meadow (Black 2006), Durlston exemplifies the essence of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Conclusion

            Whether it is the history of a planet engraved in stone or the majestic beauty of wave- swept cliffs, the grandeur and elegance of a cathedral raised on high or the mysterious allure of a centuries old passage tomb our cultural and natural heritage is a legacy worthy of our utmost care and attention.  As citizens of the world we have a responsibility to ensure the conservation and to provide assistance for the protection of the natural world as well as those wonders wrought by human invention.  Organizations such as UNESCO and the designation of World Heritage Sites are of paramount importance in the maintaining those areas of unique quality and universal merit.  The United Kingdom and Ireland exemplify the type of values and responsibility needed for ongoing conservation and recognize a common heritage in all the cultural and natural places of the world.

 

Works Cited

 

Bath & North East Somerset.  2005.  26 August 2006.  www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/.

 

Bath Abbey.  2006.  5 August 2006.  www.bathabbey.org.

 

Black, Katie.  2006.  Durlston Country Park.  28 July 2006.  www.durlston.co.uk.

 

City of Bath.  1996.  30 August 2006.  www.cityofbath.co.uk.

 

English Nature. 2006.  10 July 2006.  www.english-nature.orge.uk/.

 

 Henderson, S. Lecture. TESC 332. Issues in Conservation Biology. University of Washington, Tacoma. 26 February 2006.

 

ICCROM: International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.  2005.  31 August 2006.  www.iccrom.org.

 

ICOMOS.  2005.  26 August 2006.  www.icomos-uk.org/about/.

 

ICOMOS.  2005.  26 August 2006.  www.icomos-uk.org/whs/dorset_and_east_devon_coast/.

 

ICOMOS.  2005.  26 August 2006.  www.icomos-uk.org/whs/city_of_bath/.

 

Jurassic Coast. 2006.  10 July 2006.  www.jurassiccoast.com.

 

Khatwa, Dr. Anjana.  2006.  1 August 2006.  www.a.khatwa@dorsetcc.gov.uk

 

The Countryside Agency.  2006.  31 August 2006.  www.countryside.gov.uk.

 

UNESCO.  2006.  29 August 2006.  www.portal.unesco.org.

 

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2006.  14 July 2006.  www.whc.unesco.org/.

 

World Conservation Union.  2006.  30 August 2006.  www.iucn.org.

 

World Heritage Site.  2006.  26 August 2006.  www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/bath.html.

 

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