UNESCO World Heritage Sites

UNESCO World Heritage Sites offer genuinely unique visitor experiences. They are, by definition, irreplaceable and are of cultural or natural significance. South East England is blessed with a fine collection that champion our proud history.

Each of these attractions has been judged to be of outstanding universal value to humanity with important religious, royal and scientific ties making them fascinating places to visit. Areas of natural beauty are subject to a tourism programme strategy aiming to make them more accessible while preserving their unique organic state for future generations. 

Canterbury Cathedral, Kent

Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church make up one impressive site that was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1988 as the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly 500 years. Dating back to the 11th Century, it boasts the richest collection of stained glass windows in the UK with the most grand in the chapter house.

Steeped in English history and synonymous with Thomas Becket, this magnificent building with awe inspiring architecture offers a warm welcome with guided tours and 12 month free entry for those Gift Aiding their entry fee.

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

This masterpiece of Baroque was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is home to one Europe's historically significant collection of portraits, furniture, sculpture and tapestries. The long library contains more than 10,000 books, many of which are hundreds of years old.

The Formal Gardens and Pleasure Gardens (where the Butterfly House is located) are a joy to behold while a permanent exhibition commemorates Blenheim Palace as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Donating the cost of your entry to the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation Charity gets you a free annual pass and guided tours are included as part of admission.

Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, Surrey

Set in 326 acres of beautiful grounds containing the world’s most diverse collection of living plants, Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site just 30 minutes from central London. The garden can trace its roots back to the 18th Century and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as recently as 2003 thanks primarily to the work of renowned landscape architects including Capability Brown. The expansive gardens are fully accessible thanks to a land train with seven stops throughout Kew.

Explore tropical rainforests in the Palm House and marvel at the architecture of the newly restored Temperate House. Discover beautiful botanical art in the wonderful galleries and step back in time at Kew Palace – the former summer residence of King George III.

Visit The Hive, a fascinating installation highlighting the plight of the honeybee, the Great Broad Walk borders which contain over 30,000 plants, providing stunning colour from spring through autumn, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse containing Kew's largest plants and a 200m long Treetop Walkway giving outstanding views of the forest canopy with its birds and insects, lichens and fungi.

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Other special sites not to miss as part of a trip to South East England include the stunning Dorset's Jurassic Coast and historic Maritime Greenwich; the home of The Royal Observatory, the famous tea clipper Cutty Sark and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), internationally recognised for the world's Prime Meridian Line. These outstanding attractions feature as part of our list of UNESCO World Heritage sites from this part of the UK. For a map showing their geographical representation, select the 'Map View' button.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is currently on a tentative list meaning its under consideration to become a World Heritage Site.