Telford
& Wrekin’s Ironbridge Gorge has beaten off stiff competition to
be the 2012 most highly recommended UNESCO World Heritage Site in the
UK according to the TripAdvisor® traveller community.
It
also takes second place in the world behind the Historic Ensemble of
the Potala Palace, Lhasa, China and ahead of the Egyptian Pyramids
and India’s Taj Mahal.
As
the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution 300 years ago, the
Ironbridge Gorge is still amazing visitors today. Here you will find
the world’s first cast iron bridge built over the River Severn in
1779 and ten museums spread along its banks together with
restaurants, shops, guest accommodation and a host of attractions.
More
than 1.1 million*** traveller feedback forms were collected in
partnership with UNESCO, making this the largest study of its kind
ever conducted.
Delighted
with the accolade, Professor Les Sparks, Chairman, Ironbridge Gorge
World Heritage Site Steering Group said; “This is a worthy tribute
to the warm reception visitors receive from local businesses and
residents of the Ironbridge Gorge, which complements the exceptional
beauty and history of the area”.
Commenting
on this massive boost to the local visitor economy, Telford &
Wrekin Councillor Clive Elliott, lead member for Tourism, said: “We
are incredibly proud of the heritage represented by the Ironbridge
Gorge and delighted that it has been recognised in this way,
supporting the Gorge’s fantastic profile worldwide. “It attracts
visitors from all over the globe and we’ve worked very hard to
protect, support and promote the area which has now been recognised
on the international stage.”
Barrie
Williams, Chairman of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust added; “The
Trustees, staff and volunteers at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum are
thrilled that the New Year has brought with it great news for the
Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. The Gorge was one of the first
locations in the UK to be designated as a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1986 and since then the Museum has worked carefully with
many partners in the Gorge to protect and interpret the remarkable
heritage of this unique part of the world.”
World’s
Most Recommended Sites
1.
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa - China
2.
Ironbridge Gorge – UK
3.
Palace and Park of Fontainebleau - France
4.
Historic Centre of Guimaraes - Portugal
5.
Masada - Israel
6.
Byblos - Lebanon
7.
Persepolis - Iran
8.
Hwaseong Fortress - Republic of Korea
9.
Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeological Sites
of Paestum and Velia, and the Certosa di Padula - Italy
10.
Meidan Emam, Esfahan - Iran
UK’s
Most Recommended Sites
These
UK World Heritage sites are those most recommended, according to
TripAdvisor travellers:
1.
Ironbridge Gorge - Shropshire
2.
Heart of Neolithic Orkney - Orkney Islands, Scotland
3.
Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey - North
Yorkshire
4.
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd - Gwynedd, Wales
5.
City of Bath - Bath
6.
Durham Castle and Cathedral - Durham
7.
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh – Edinburgh, Scotland
8.
Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey, and St Martin’s
Church - Canterbury
9.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal - North East Wales
“Every
one of the 962 designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites is of enormous
cultural or natural significance,” said Emma Shaw, TripAdvisor
spokesperson. These lists identify the sites that are valued most
highly by the millions of TripAdvisor travellers who visit them and
therefore, Ironbridge Gorge should be incredibly proud of
its position at
second place in the world and number one in the UK.”
The
partnership between TripAdvisor and UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre
launched in October 2009 to raise awareness of and gain travellers’
support to preserve natural and cultural sites inscribed on UNESCO’s
World Heritage list. Within the partnership, TripAdvisor is also
providing support to the World Heritage Centre to help monitor the
conservation of the world’s most important cultural and natural
heritage sites. TripAdvisor shares the feedback to the World Heritage
Centre so that it may better support UNESCO member states in
protection and presentation of the properties.
