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How many UNESCO World Heritage sites have I visited?

May 23, 2025 by Neil Turner

A photo of Salt's Mill in Saltaire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Bradford.

Something I used to do was ask my Facebook friends a new question every day. It started in 2022, and I managed to keep going every day well into last year before running out of ideas for new questions. One of those questions was how many UNESCO World Heritage Sites have you visited?

I think, in my mind, UNESCO World Heritage Sites are relatively unusual, and that most people would have only visited one or two in their lifetimes. As it happens, there are well over a thousand UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the world, in over 160 countries. 35 of these are in the UK alone. So, with this in mind, here are all of those that I have visited, split by country.

United Kingdom

Durham Castle and Cathedral. I visited briefly in 2005, and at the time only wrote a single sentence about it. I did at least upload some photos.
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd. These are specifically the castles at Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech in North Wales, of which I’ve been to Caernarfon and Conwy (and will be re-visiting Conwy this summer).
Frontiers of the Roman Empire. This encompasses multiple sites, some of which are in Germany, but the bit I’ve been to is Hadrian’s Wall. This was when I was still at school and before my blogging days, so I don’t have any photos or blog posts to share.
Canterbury Cathedral. This was way back in 2000, when you could enter the Cathedral Close without having to pay anything. My last visit to Canterbury was in 2019 for work, and by then the entire Cathedral Close was pay-to-enter – as I only had a short amount of time before my train home, I didn’t.
Forth Bridge. Specifically the rail bridge, which I’ve been over on several trains – most recently in 2015 when we went to St Andrews for a wedding.
The English Lake District. Apparently the entire national park was also designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. My most recent visit was in 2012, albeit just for a day which was spent in Keswick and up Latrigg, so that one of my friends could bag her final Wainwright. So although it wasn’t a world heritage site when I visited, I’m counting it.
Ironbridge Gorge. Another one that I have memories of, but my last visit was when I was very young and so I don’t have any photos. Now that I live towards the western edge of West Yorkshire, rather than York, we’re quite a bit closer to Ironbridge and so we may need to plan a trip there.
Jodrell Bank Observatory. Been there three times – the most recent time was last year. It’s a really good day out.
Maritime Greenwich. Been through Greenwich a few times, most recently in November 2022 when we went to the National Maritime Museum. I had only recently re-started blogging at the time, so no blog post about it.
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh. Our last visit to Edinburgh was in 2011, although we passed through in 2015 on the way to St Andrews as mentioned above. Our nine-year-old hasn’t been to Scotland yet so we may need to consider a trip sometime.
Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey. Not been inside of either yet, but we walked past them on last year’s trip to London to show them to our nine-year-old.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. We visited around the same time as our trip to the Lake District in 2012. Again, somewhere we need to take our nine-year-old in due course.
Saltaire. Our nearest UNESCO World Heritage Site, it being in the same county and neighbouring borough. Blogged about in 2013, but we’ve visited more recently than that.
The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales. North Wales again! We passed through in 2019, on the way back from Sci-Fi Weekender in its final year in Pwllheli, however, it was only designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. Again, we’ll be back there again this summer.
Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey (National Trust). Last visited in 2020, as it was a mostly outdoor place where we could see my parents in person for the first time since the beginning of lockdown earlier that year.
Tower of London. Last visited in 2016, when our nine-year-old was still a baby.
Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City. I’m including this for the sake of completeness as a previous visit in 2010 was during its time as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, it was removed in 2021 due to new buildings being constructed that were ‘out of character’. Most recent visit was last year.

Barbados

Barbados has just the one UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is its capital, Bridgetown. I went on holiday with my parents in 2000, as I’d turned 16 and it was their 25th wedding anniversary. To date, it’s the only time I’ve been to the western side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Belgium

La Grand-Place, Brussels. I had a weekend in Brussels with my parents in the early 2000s. At the time, my mum worked for a charity that was applying for a six-figure sum of funding from the European Commission, and so it was decided that she would submit the funding bids in person so that there was no risk of it getting lost in the post. We therefore went as a family and made a weekend of it, travelling down on the Eurostar.
Belfries of Belgium and France. These include belfries in Brussels and also Bruges, which we visited in 2014. Speaking of which…
Historic Centre of Bruges. The whole of central Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s easy to see why as it’s lovely. Previously I’d been briefly with my parents in 1992, on our way back from a holiday in eastern France.

France

France is the country that I’ve visited the most after the UK, so it’s not surprising that I’ve visited several UNESCO World Heritage Sites over the years.

Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments. I’ve been to Arles more than once, with the most recent visit in 2003. It’s an amazing place – Arles retains its Roman amphitheatre.
Canal du Midi. I’ve been past bits of it. It’s a 150 mile long canal from Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea at Agde, which I last visited in 2003.
Reims Cathedral. Also visited in 2003, as my parents usually travel down by car over several days.
Historical centre of Avignon. I’ve been to Avignon a few times, as we used to use Auto-Train (aka Motorail) quite a lot. My parents would take several days driving down, stopping off at places of interest on the way, but we’d put the car on the train and travel back overnight to save time on the return journey. Sadly, these services were discontinued in 2019.
Saint-Émilion. I’m pretty sure I have been here, but don’t ask me when.
Mont Saint-Michel. Last visited in 2018, in a holiday that I haven’t written about yet but probably will do later this year.
Banks of the Seine. Our most recent visit to Paris was in 2013 for our honeymoon.
Pont du Gard. As a child, I rowed an inflatable dinghy under it.
Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley. Specifically Lascaux, which I visited in 1998 with my parents.
Roman Theatre of Orange. Again, been there some time in the 1990s.
Loire Valley. Visited most recently in 2023, but also in 2018.
Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne. Visited a couple of times, most recently in 2003.
Nice. Last visited in 2001 when I went on a fly-drive holiday with my parents.

Greece

I have been to Crete, which is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but as I was only three years old at the time, I don’t really remember it.

Ireland

I have been to Ireland – well, Dublin. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Republic of Ireland, but neither of them are in Dublin, so I haven’t been to them.

Italy

I have been to Italy twice – once to Venice, in 1999, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and once on a day trip in 2001 to Ventimiglia, a town known for its markets on the French border, which isn’t.

Jordan and Oman

I have been to Amman in Jordan, and Muscat and Salalah in Oman, but this was a work trip so I didn’t get to see any of the heritage sites whilst there.

Romania

I was lucky enough to go on an A-level Geography field trip to Romania in 2001. Whilst there, I got to see the Danube Delta and some of the Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania.

Spain

I’ve been to the northern coast of Spain once, staying near Santander, but it was thirty years ago and so I can’t remember whether we visited any of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites there.

Switzerland

I’ve been to Geneva once, all the way back in 1992, but not to any of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites elsewhere in the country.

Where next

I’ve hinted at a few places that we may go back to in the UK. Next month, there’s a possibility I may check off another international UNESCO World Heritage Site, but I can’t be sure that it’ll happen yet.

The Mersey Tunnels

October 24, 2024 by Neil Turner

The George's Dock building which houses the ventilation shaft for the Queensway Tunnel, one of the two Mersey road tunnels

Why yes, I am stretching out a single day trip to Liverpool and Wirral into four blog posts. The first was our trip to Eureka Science + Discovery in Wirral, the second about the Mersey ferries, the third about the Museum of Liverpool, and now this, about the tunnels that run under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wirral.

There are three tunnels under the River Mersey; the oldest is the railway tunnel, which is now part of the Wirral Line of Merseyrail. The Queensway Tunnel opened in the 1930s, and is the oldest road tunnel, with the Kingsway Tunnel opening in the 1970s to relieve congestion. As it happened, Google Maps directed me through the Queensway Tunnel on the way there, and Kingsway Tunnel on the way back. And I got to experience the Mersey Railway tunnel back in 2010, so I’ve now been through all three.

Both road tunnels charge a toll – it’s about £2 for cars, but check the Mersey Tunnels web site for current prices. The toll plazas are on the Wirral side; unlike the newer Mersey Gateway Crossing further upstream, you have to pay to enter or leave the tunnels and can’t pay later online. Thankfully, card payments are accepted as well as cash.

The two tunnels differ in design. Both have two lanes of traffic easy way, but the newer Kingsway Tunnel has two separate bores rather than one single wide bore. The Kingsway Tunnel is also the only one open to heavy goods vehicles; the Queensway Tunnel has a 3.5 tonne weight limit, and buses must use the offside lane due to the lower ceiling. They’re also different lengths; the Queensway Tunnel is about 1 km longer than the Kingsway Tunnel, even though the Kingsway Tunnel is further downstream.

Another interesting fact is that the tunnels have their own police force; indeed, there are four police forces active in Liverpool. As well as the Mersey Tunnels Police and Merseyside Police, Liverpool Cathedral and the Port of Liverpool also have their own police forces. That’ll make a good pub quiz question.

The tunnels need ventilation shafts, and many of these are now landmarks alongside the River Mersey; indeed, the Georges Dock shaft in Liverpool is now grade II listed.

If you don’t want to pay the tolls, then expect to make a much longer journey. The next two crossings upstream, the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Mersey Gateway Crossing, also charge tolls (and the prices are similar), so the first ‘free’ bridge over the River Mersey that you can drive across is in Warrington. When I was planning my journey, a route avoiding the tolls took me down the M6, across on the M56 and up into Wirral on the M53, adding around 7 minutes and 32 km (20 miles) onto my journey. The extra fuel burnt would probably have equated to the toll.

The Museum of Liverpool

December 29, 2024October 22, 2024 by Neil Turner

So, after we caught the Ferry across the Mersey, we had a couple of hours in Liverpool before we needed to head back. And seeing as the Museum of Liverpool is right by the Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal, we decided to pop in.

All three of us have been before, back in Summer 2016, and if you’re good at maths then you’ll be able to work out how old our eight-year-old was then. So whilst it wasn’t technically their first visit, it might as well have been.

Like the name of the museum suggests, it tells the history of Liverpool, starting at pre-historic times and up to the present day. Some of the exhibits may only be of interest to locals, where these focus on specific areas of Liverpool, but for the most part there’s something for those who only know Liverpool for The Beatles and football.

Railways

Of particular interest to me is the story of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, which used to snake its way past Liverpool’s dockyards along the waterfront. Built in 1893, it suffered extensive damage during the second world war and was demolished in the 1950s. But it was the world’s first elevated railway, one of the first electric railways at a time when steam engines ruled, and one of the first to use modern colour-light railway signalling. In the museum, the one surviving wooden railway carriage is available to look at, on a recreation of the metal structure that carried the railway.

A photo of the steam engine Lion inside the Museum of Liverpool

This carriage isn’t the only rail vehicle inside the museum, and a large part of the ground floor is home to the steam engine Lion. It was built in 1838 for the then relatively new Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which was the world’s first intercity railway, to haul freight.

Whilst entry to the museum is free, some special exhibitions charge. The current exhibition is the Holly Johnson story – Holly Johnson probably being best known as the lead singer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Which would have interested me but probably not our eight-year-old.

Accessibility

As mentioned, entry is free apart from some exhibitions. It’s closed on Mondays, unless it’s school holidays, but open every other day of the week.

Being a new-ish museum, Changing Places and gender-neutral toilets are available, and there are lifts to all floors. Sunday mornings are dedicated quiet times in the museum.

James Street station on Merseyrail is the closest and is around a 5 minute walk away; the main Liverpool Lime Street station is about 20 minutes walk. It’s also close to the ferry terminal, so if you’re driving, you could do what we do and park there, and then catch the ferry.

Taking a ferry across the Mersey

October 18, 2024 by Neil Turner

A photo of the Royal Iris ferry on the River Mersey in Liverpool

So, I mentioned in our visit to Eureka Science + Discovery that it’s located in the Seacombe Ferry Terminal in the Wirral, and that a typical visit lasts 2-3 hours. Therefore, that gave us a spare afternoon, and our eight-year-old decided that a ferry journey was in order.

The Mersey Ferries fill a double role. At peak times on weekdays, they offer a fast 10 minute crossing every 20 minutes for commuters. But at weekends and weekday daytimes, they take a less direct route and offer a 50 minute River Explorer Cruise with a commentary pointing out major riverside landmarks. And yes, you’ll get to hear that Gerry and the Pacemakers song too.

Boarding in Wirral, the first part of the journey took around half an hour. You pass the other ferry terminal in Wirral at Woodside, adjacent to the U-Boat Story museum – both are currently closed for renovations, but Christine and I visited in 2010. You then pass where the (much larger) ferries to Ireland depart, before the boat performs a u-turn and passes Liverpool Arena and the Albert Dock. You then arrive at the Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal (yup) in Liverpool.

The return journey to Wirral heads down the Mersey as far as the under-construction Everton Stadium, before again turning and passing Wallasey and onwards back to the Seacombe terminal.

The ferry we travelled on was the Royal Iris of the Mersey. Built in 1959, it’s seen a lot and various bands and artists have performed on it over the years – Elvis Costello, The Searchers, the aforementioned Gerry and the Pacemakers, and, yes, The Beatles. The on-board interior is rather sparse, but there’s a café which, thanks to a loophole (see this Tom Scott video), can sell alcohol without a license.

Currently the Royal Iris is the only ferry in use, but a new one is being built, to launch in 2026 – and it’s being built locally in Birkenhead.

Our eight-year-old really enjoyed the return trip. It’s not cheap – around £13 for adults and £8 for children. The ferries are accessible though as you can board and alight using ramps, and there accessible toilets on board.

Visiting the ‘other’ Eureka in Wirral

October 16, 2024 by Neil Turner

A photo of the entrance to Eureka Science + Discovery in Wirral

Since 1992, Halifax has been home to Eureka, the National Children’s Museum. But in 2022, a ‘new’ Eureka opened in Wirral, just across the River Mersey from Liverpool, and I took our eight-year-old to visit a couple of weeks ago.

As we live near Halifax, we’ve taken our eight-year-old to Eureka a few times over the years, so we wanted to see what the new museum was like.

Eureka Science + Discovery

The ‘new’ Eureka is branded ‘Eureka Science + Discovery’, and is aimed at slightly older children. The original Eureka was groundbreaking at the time of its opening by being very hands on, when most other contemporary museums locked their exhibits away inside glass cabinets with ‘do not touch’ signs everywhere. Eureka Science + Discovery carries on with the same ethos, and there’s lots of things to touch and interact with. But there’s also more to read, in line with its older target age group of 7-14 year-olds.

Downstairs, you can learn about the body, and there’s an auditorium at the back. Upstairs there are two zones – one focussing on nature, and the other about science, especially in the home. Through a separate entrance is The Burrow, which is a play area for the under-7s and is included in the ticket, and of course there’s a shop and a café – again the café has a separate entrance and is open to the public.

We spent a full morning at the museum. Older kids may get more out of it, if they take the time to read the displays, but allow 2-3 hours for a visit.

A photo of the inside of Eureka Science + Discovery. There is a very large blue cat.

Accessibility

Eureka Science + Discovery is based in the Seacombe ferry terminal in Wirral, and so you can catch a ferry across the Mersey to Liverpool and back. It’s a bit of a walk from the nearest Merseyrail station at Hamilton Square, but there are buses. There’s also a pay-and-display car park, although if you are driving and aren’t using Google Maps or the like, make sure you follow signs for the Seacombe ferry terminal. Although Eureka has been open a little while now, there aren’t any ‘brown signs’ yet for directions.

Being a brand new museum, accessibility is top-notch, with lifts and a changing places toilet. Extra support is also available for those with sensory issues.

Pre-booking of tickets is required, but then they’re valid as an annual pass. Whilst it’s not yet listed on the Max Card web site, if you have a Max Card, then one adult and one child get in absolutely free at present. Tesco Clubcard vouchers are also accepted but can’t be redeemed for an annual pass.

A day out in Liverpool

December 29, 2024July 26, 2016 by Neil Turner

A couple of weeks ago, Christine and I ended up with a Friday off work and no plans. So, on a whim, we decided to go to Liverpool.

In the past, we would have caught the train. It takes a couple of hours from Sowerby Bridge, with a change in Manchester. But we decided to drive this time, which proved to be quicker and (probably) cheaper. We decided to stay the night, and we could bring all of our seven-month-old’s paraphernalia in the car as well. We managed to get a room in the Holiday Inn Express in the Albert Dock, which was great. It’s located in one of the old warehouses, above what used to be the studio for This Morning on ITV. The rooms still have the brick barrel-vaulting and ironwork intact, bringing some character to an otherwise bog-standard budget hotel.

We last came to Liverpool in 2010. Back then, we spent a couple of days in the city, before catching the ferry to the Isle of Man. This was before the Museum of Liverpool had opened, so now that it is open and established, we popped in. The gallery about the Liverpool Overhead Railway most interested me, as you can imagine, but the rest of the museum was worth looking around too. It’s also home to several of the Superlambananas that were created for Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture event in 2008. There’s plenty about the history of the city, although some of the exhibits about Liverpool’s suburbs will be more of interest to locals than those visiting.

Liverpool is one of my favourite places to visit. The area around the Albert Dock is fantastic, as is the Liverpool One shopping centre – it’s a great example of a retail development that blends into the city, rather than dominating it. I’m sure we’ll be back again in a few years time.