World Heritage Site and Landscape Setting

World Heritage Sites are defined as examples of worldwide cultural and natural heritage of “outstanding universal value to humanity”. Initially established at the 1972 World Heritage Convention, there are now over 700 sites in over 120 countries inscribed upon the World Heritage List.

The city of Bath in its entirety has been a World Heritage Site since 1987, recognised as a place of “Outstanding Universal Value” for its hot springs, Georgian architecture and town-planning, surrounding green landscape, archaeological remains of the old Roman town, and its role as a setting for social history. Its World Heritage significance is summarised in the following attributes:

1. Roman archaeology
2. The hot springs
3. Georgian town planning
4. Georgian architecture
5. The green setting of the city in a hollow in the hills
6. Georgian architecture reflecting 18th century social ambitions

The history of the city extends over six millennia, from its earliest days when the hot springs were a place of worship for the Britons, to the modern day when Bath is an international icon of architecture and archaeology within a thriving local community, summarised in the City of Bath World Heritage Site Management Plan.

Click here to find out more about Bath’s 2021 inscription as one of 11 Great Spa Towns of Europe. 

The World Heritage Site Advisory Board, a partnership committee of local and national organisations including Historic England, The National Trust, B&NES Council, and Bath Preservation Trust oversaw the preparation of the Bath World Heritage Site Management Plan. The management plan covers a range of topics in looking at how the World Heritage Site can be managed and maintained, including conservation, planning, education, transport, community life and tourism.

Bath Preservation Trust has a commitment to overseeing the effective implementation of the aims and objectives of the management plan and ensuring that the state of the conservation and management of the site is effectively measured and monitored by the World Heritage Site Manager. The management plan is supported by thw World Heritage Site Setting SPD which serves to protect the important green landscape setting of the city.

The Bath World Heritage Enhancement Fund, administered by BPT, gives small grants for public realm improvement projects. A project for the conservation and restoration of historic incised and painted street signs across Bath won the Georgian Group Architectural Awards 2019. 

In collaboration with local heritage partners, B&NES Council annually hosts World Heritage Day, with a series of events and talks to explore the special heritage of Bath. You can find out more about BPT’s involvement via our World Heritage Day page.

BPT is part of the Bathscape Landscape Partnership. Its goal is to revitalise Bath’s landscape for people, communities and heritage, and offers events, activities and volunteering opportunities to help connect people with their local landscape and learn more about Bath’s built and natural heritage.