Durham City's World Heritage Site
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DURHAM CITY’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE BUSINESS TOOLKIT 2 Durham City’s World Heritage Site England’s World Heritage Story: The North 3 CONTENTS PAGE 3 INTRODUCTION 4 WHAT IS WORLD HERITAGE STATUS? 6 DURHAM’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE 9 MANAGING DURHAM’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE 9 VISITING DURHAM’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE 10 THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE VISITOR CENTRE 11 THE VISITOR 11 WHAT DO VISITORS WANT TO DO? 12 MAKING THE MOST OF A WHS IN YOUR DESTINATION ELCOME 13 HOW ARE BUSINESSES USING THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS IN THE DESTINATION TO THEIR ADVANTAGE? England’s World Heritage Story: The In order to help local businesses 15 EXTRA INFORMATION North, is a Discover England Fund clustered in and around the World AND RESOURCES project designed to raise awareness Heritage Sites, the project has 16 VISITOR INFORMATION of and increase visitor numbers to produced this business engagement the six United Nations Educational, toolkit designed to help local Scientific and Cultural Organizations businesses make full use of their (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites (WHS) connections to their local World of northern England (Durham Castle Heritage Sites. This includes & Cathedral, Hadrian’s Wall, Lake information on the significance of District National Park, Liverpool, world heritage status, how world Maritime Mercantile City, Saltaire heritage status can benefit you and Studley Royal Water Park & and how to effectively market that Fountains Abbey). connection to your client base. For more information please contact: The legacy of the project will be the creation of bespoke, bookable Durham Visitor Contact Centre itineraries of between one and five Email: [email protected] days, highlighting northern England’s Telephone: 03000 262626 deep contribution to the world’s cultural patrimony. Website: thisisdurham.com 4 Durham City’s World Heritage Site England’s World Heritage Story: The North 5 WHAT IS WORLD HERITAGE STATUS? World Heritage Site designation is managed by UNESCO. The main aim of which is to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of Did you know? outstanding value to humanity. World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural There are over 1,300 WHS in the world and there are sites considered to be of currently 31 sites in the UK. ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, which have been inscribed on World Heritage Sites in the UK cover n It can enhance a destination’s the World Heritage List by the a broad thematic range, including profile through comparisons with World Heritage Committee. archaeological sites, seats of power, other well-known destinations. These places or buildings industrial sites, natural sites, sites are thought to have special n related to the early Christian Church, Destinations with a WHS site have importance for everyone. and 18th century ensembles. been known to attract higher spending, cultural visitors. The benefits of a World Heritage n Site to the visitor economy: It enhances destination distinctiveness through n The internationally renowned uniqueness and authenticity. designation can provide ‘quality assurance’ for visitors. World Heritage Sites in Northern England Newcastle airport Port of Tyne Hadrian’s Wall Durham Castle and Cathedral Lake District Fountains Abbey National Park and Studley Royal Water Gardens Saltaire Village A1M Port of Hull Heysham Port Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City Liverpool Docks and Airport Manchester Airport © Visit County Durham 6 Durham City’s World Heritage Site England’s World Heritage Story: The North 7 DURHAM’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE Durham World Heritage Site comprises of Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle and the buildings between them. Durham Castle and Cathedral Durham Cathedral was built in the The Durham site in its present form Durham World Heritage Site was Cathedral reflect the unique status Durham's late 11th and early 12th centuries is one that has remained in use for Did you know? inscribed by UNESCO in 1986 (among of the Prince-Bishops of Durham. to house the relics of St Cuthbert almost 1000 years: the Cathedral Durham Cathedral also the first UK sites to be listed) in The Prince-Bishops were religious significance (evangelisers of Northumbria) and as a religious building, educational has religious and historic recognition of its Outstanding leaders who also had secular The fortified peninsula on the Venerable Bede. It is the largest centre, and place of pilgrimage; and significance that transcends Universal Value. The site’s architectural powers — they governed a virtually the River Wear is home to and finest example of Norman the Castle, first as the home of the its architectural value. In it are importance lies in the fact that autonomous state that formed the one of Europe’s greatest architecture in England, an example Prince-Bishops, and then as the home the shrines of St Cuthbert, Durham Cathedral and Castle are buffer zone between England and cathedrals and a castle built of the importance of the early of Durham University, established who was instrumental in among the greatest monuments of the Scotland from the late eleventh by William the Conqueror. Benedictine monastic community. in 1832 — the third oldest university spreading Christianity in the Norman Conquest of Britain, and that century until 1603. Behind the cathedral stands the in England. north of England, and the Durham Cathedral, built between 1093 castle, an ancient Norman fortress The Site boundaries were expandedCemetry Venerable Bede, who lived and 1133,Wharton is one of the finest examples College which was the residence of the in the seventh century and of NormanPark architecture in Europe. in 2008 to include Palace Green Prince-Bishops of Durham. and the buildings surrounding it, wrote the first ever history The site is also outstanding because as well as Durham Cathedral and of the English people. Bede’s of its political history:Durham the Castle and Durham Castle. work included science, maths, Train Station history and chronology. His calculations are used to this day to determine the date Outline of Durham City of Easter every year by the western Christian church. River We Town Hall ar Bowling reen Durham Castle r a useum e W r e v i R Durham Cathedral University Colleges 0 100m © Nick Martin Playing ields 8 Durham City’s World Heritage Site England’s World Heritage Story: The North 9 MANAGING DURHAM’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE The current management plan for The aims of the plan are to: Management plan Durham Castle and Cathedral World n Protect the Site’s Outstanding The Management Plan is designed Heritage Site covers the period Universal Value and setting; to assist partnership working 2017-2023. The plan outlines the with the UK Government to vision as a welcoming and inclusive n Conserve and enhance the adhere to the terms of the place with a vibrant community Site and its setting; World Heritage Convention. which takes its inspiration from its past, whilst planning for a sustainable n Support understanding and World Heritage Site status brings future and striking an effective and awareness of the Site and its with it considerable responsibility for creative balance between a place to Outstanding Universal Value its stewardship. Durham Cathedral, live, work, worship, learn and visit. and of World Heritage; the University of Durham and St Durham WHS aspires to be a place n Support communities in realising John’s College as the landowners, where World Heritage significance is the economic, social and cultural along with Durham County Council, fully acknowledged, appreciated and opportunities and benefits. are answerable through the UK understood by present and future Government to UNESCO as well as generations. It will strive for the World Heritage status can bring: to the wider international highest standards of conservation, community for its conservation protection and interpretation for a n Support visitor and communities’ and sharing of the WHS with sustainable future for the Site. access, their enjoyment of the Site present and future generations. and its benefits; n Provide WHS management to The plan can be found at deliver all aims. Did you know? www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/research Durham Cathedral took 40 years to build and is one of the DURHAM’S WORLD finest examples of Norman Architecture in Europe. VISITING DURHAM’S HERITAGE SITE WORLD HERITAGE SITE Durham Cathedral and Castle were inscribed The massive scale of both the children over 8. Open Treasure - the Durham Castle is home to the students on the World Heritage List because of: Cathedral and the Castle, Cathedral’s award winning museum - of University College, part of means that any visitor to Durham is £7.50 admission. Durham University. n n n cannot fail to see them. The site’s exceptional architecture The physical expression of the The importance of the site’s Open Treasure is open Monday to It is advisable to check tour times in demonstrating architectural spiritual and secular powers of archaeological remains, which The World Heritage Convention Saturday 10am until 5pm, 12.30pm advance of a visit. When there are no innovation. the medieval Prince-Bishops that are directly related to its history states that a World Heritage Site until 5pm on Sundays. private events booked, tours are usually the defended complex provides. and use over time. n must have a “function in the life available every day at 1.15pm, 2.15pm, The visual drama of the Cathedral The Cathedral Tower is open Monday n n of the community”. 3.15pm and 4.15pm. During University and Castle on the peninsula and The relics and material culture of The continuity of use and to Saturday 10am until 4pm, 12.30pm the associations of the site with the three saints (Cuthbert, Bede ownership of the site as a vacations, tours are also normally The Cathedral is open every day until 2.30pm on Sundays - subject to offered at 10.15am, 11.15am and notions of romantic beauty.