T­­­he Lake District has been inscribed onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in Krakow, Poland, today.

World Heritage Sites are areas recognised for their ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ (OUV), meaning their cultural or natural heritage transcends national boundaries and is of importance to present and future generations of all humanity.

Recognised for its landscape of mountains, valleys and lakes intertwined with over 1,000 years of human activity, the Lake District will now become the UK’s 31st World Heritage Site, and one of five World Heritage Sites in the UK recognised as a 'cultural landscape'.

Helen Maclagan, Culture Director at the UK National Commission for UNESCO, said:

“The inscription of the English Lake District demonstrates that it meets the relevant criteria set out in the World Heritage Convention and is a priceless and irreplaceable asset not only to the UK but to humanity as a whole. It joins 30 other spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies ranging from the ancient landscape of Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire, the remote Gough and Inaccessible Islands in the South Atlantic to the Victorian Forth Bridge in Scotland.

 “I am delighted that the rich cultural landscape of the Lake District is now recognised on theworld stage. We look forward to working with the Lake District Partnership and continuing our work with World Heritage Sites in the UK to ensure that the full benefits of World Heritage Site status are realised.” 

 Chairman of the Lake District National Park Partnership, Lord Clark of Windermere, said:

“Joining the UNESCO family, both in the UK and globally, is a huge opportunity for the Lake District National Park. We believe this designation will have long lasting benefits for everyone who visits, lives and works in this special place.”

Beth Taylor, Chair of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, said:

“Congratulations to the Lake District onbecoming the latest member of the UNESCOfamily in the UK. They are joining an exciting and active network of UK and global UNESCO designations, organisations and specialists working together to create the international collaborations which underpin UNESCO’smission of creating peace in the minds of men and women. 

“We look forward to exploring with the Lake District Partnership how we can help them contribute to this impressive record of international collaboration.”