UNESCO Industrial Trail

The new UNESCO UK Industrial Trail brings together 22 UNESCO designations in celebration of the United Kingdom’s internationally significant industrial heritage to form a trail for enthusiasts to explore. 

The UK Industrial Heritage Trail includes UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Tentative List sites UNESCO Cities of Literature and Film, and Global Geoparks to tell the story of industry across England, Scotland and Wales.  From mills, mines and quarries to canals, railways and industrial cities, the trail connects places and landscapes shaped by innovation, labour and geology - inviting visitors to explore how industry transformed everyday life and left a lasting cultural legacy. 

Explore each UNESCO designation, as part of the trail or as individual sites:

World Heritage Sites – Ironbridge Gorge, Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, the English Lake District, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Saltaire, Derwent Valley Mills, Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, the Forth Bridge, the Slate Landscape of NW Wales, Jodrell Bank, New Lanark, Hadrian’s Wall, Durham Castle & Cathedral, Studley Royal & Fountain’s Abbey and Birkenhead Park (Tentative Site).

Global Geoparks – North Pennines, GeoMôn and Black Country.

Creative Cities – Bradford City of Film, Manchester City of Learning, Manchester City of Literature and Nottingham City of Literature.

Explore the new website to see a map of the industrial trail and the stops included. 

This is all thanks to funding from the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO Local to Global project and made possible with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.