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In November 2003 Durham City Council, the English Historic Towns Forum and the Council for British Archaeology North hosted a conference in Durham City dealing with the management of World Heritage Sites. There were some key conclusions from the conference found in the Conference Report and Papers below. One of these was to publish the results of the conference and to give links to other useful sites and resources. Whilst the link page is still being compiled, please see the reports and papers bellow to give a good indication of the breadth of the conference. For information, the programme and list of speakers can be accessed here.

UNESCO first developed the concept of World Heritage Sites during the 1960s. It envisaged the preparation of a universally approved list of sites which were of such outstanding natural, environmental or cultural importance that they merited international recognition and protection. Many extremely important sites were under threat all around the world and demanded a greater degree of protection than their own countries appeared willing or able to give them. A world heritage convention was drawn up in 1972. This aimed to identify the cultural and natural properties in each country whose protection would be concern to the international community as a whole. These sites are defined in the convention as places of 'outstanding universal value from the point of view of art, history, science or natural beauty'.

UK World Heritage Sites (with their year of inscription):

1986 - Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast

1986 - Durham Castle and Cathedral

1986 - Ironbridge Gorge

1986 - Studley Royal Park, including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey

1986 - Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites

1986 - Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd

1986 - St. Kilda

1987 - Blenheim Palace

1987 - City of Bath

1987 - Hadrian's Wall

1987 - Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church

1988 - Tower of London

1988 - Canterbury Cathedral, St. Augustine's Abbey, and St. Martin's Church

1995 - Old and New Towns of Edinburgh

1997 - Maritime Greenwich

1999 - Heart of Neolithic Orkney

2000 - Blaenavon Industrial Landscape

2001 - Dorset and East Devon Coast

2001 - Derwent Valley Mills

2001 - New Lanark

2001 - Saltaire

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Durham Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site

Durham Cathedral and Castle stand together on a lofty plateau surrounded on three sides by the River Wear. Together they represent the Norman Domination of England and symbolise the spiritual and temporal powers of the Prince Bishops, who for centuries were amongst the most powerful men of northern England. It is, however, above all the relationship between the two, towering over the adjacent streets of the town, which inspires awe. (Justification for inclusion in World Heritage List, 1986)

Durham Cathedral and Castle was inscribed by UNESCO* as one of the first British World Heritage Sites in 1986. This inscription recognises Durham as a place of outstanding international significance, which deserves protection for the benefit of present and future generations. Other U.K. sites include Hadrian's Wall, the Tower of London and Stonehenge and Avebury. Across the world this designation places Durham Cathedral and Castle beside sites such as the Grand Canyon in America, the Acropolis in Athens and the Pyramids in Egypt.

The World Heritage List was developed to protect and care for sites such as these, deemed to be places of 'outstanding universal value from the point of view of art, history, science or natural beauty' (World Heritage Convention 1972).

The boundary of the World Heritage Site at Durham surrounds the Castle, the Cathedral, The College and Prebends Bridge, although it does not include Palace Green (the grassed area between the Cathedral and Castle).

These buildings were among the first British sites to be inscribed due to their huge individual significance but also to their unified importance. The combination of Cathedral and Castle illustrates well the huge power of the early Prince Bishops and gives Durham its famous medieval skyline.

Durham cathedral is the masterpiece of Norman architecture in England. It was built between 1093 and 1133, the first major English Church to be entirely stone vaulted and one of the earliest in Europe to use ribbed vaulting. The Norman church has been described as 'one of the most perfect and historically most interesting buildings in Europe'. The cathedral is the burial place of two of North's the great religious men. St Cuthbert the most revered of the early missionary saints, and the Venerable Bede, eminent scholar and first historian of the English people.

Durham Castle was established by the Normans who raised the motte and bailey fortifications that guard the neck of the peninsula. Beside its border fortress role, it quickly developed into the palace of the Bishops of Durham, who built the magnificent halls and chapel, rare survivors of secular Norman splendour. The medieval bishops continued to develop the castle and after the loss of its fortress function in the seventeenth century yet more lavish accommodation was provided, while the redundant fortifications were transformed into gardens and terraced walks. In the 1830s the bishops vacated the castle, to make way for the newly established University of Durham.

*UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. It promotes peace and security for all through education, science, culture and communication.

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Durham Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site Management Plan

A new management plan is currently being written to ensure that the World Heritage Site is managed in a way that befits its international importance.

This plan aims to recognise the needs of Durham as a modern city while enhancing the experience of the local community and visitors alike. It is being led by a steering group made up of local and national organisations including:

Durham City Council, Durham County Council, University of Durham, The Chapter of Durham Cathedral, English Heritage, ICOMOS UK (International Council on Monuments and Sites UK) and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

The issues to be tackled by this plan may include:

• our understanding of the World Heritage Site as a whole
• the conservation of the buildings, spaces and archaeological remains
• tourism, education, interpretation and cultural management within the World Heritage Site
• the management of traffic and transport on the peninsula and potential future developments

The objective is to produce a management plan that can achieve widespread support on a local, regional and international level. In order to achieve this it is important that we gather your views on the management plan and the future of the World Heritage Site in Durham. Feedback from all who use or enjoy the World Heritage Site is very welcome.

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