Defeat for heritage campaigners in Liverpool

While heritage campaigners have chalked up a number of victories in the United Kingdom in recent years, Liverpool was the site of a defeat this week as the High Court ruled against those seeking to halt a major commercial development project on the Eastside of Lime Street, part of a world heritage site that comprises the city's historic centre and docklands.

SAVE Britain's Heritage, spearheading the fight against the development, which includes a new hotel, shops, restaurants and a student residence, remains committed in its opposition, indicating that it will appeal the ruling to save historic buildings on Lime Street that are slated for demolition.

As is often the case in conflicts over commercial development in heritage districts, the challenge lies in preserving the traditional character and historical integrity of an area without stunting the dynamism that can come with responsible commercial development.

Hadrian's Wall: Roman limes and refugee camps

Having become fascinated with Roman Britain as a child reader of Rosemary Sutcliff's historical fiction (including her excellent book Eagle of the Ninth, which was recently resurrected as a passable Hollywood blockbuster), Hadrian's Wall was high on my destination list when visiting Northern England in the early 1990s. I was not disappointed.

Built on the order of Emperor Hadrian in 122 CE, the wall marked the northern limit of the Roman Empire for nearly 300 years. As both an engineering feat and embodiment of the might of one of the word's first superpowers, Hadrian's Wall was deservedly inscribed as a world heritage site in 1987.

Today, Hadrian's Wall continues to be the focus of archaeological excavation and study. In a remarkable parallel with the challenges facing contemporary Europe, archaeological discoveries in the vicinity of the Wall include a "refugeecamp" near a Roman fort thought to have housed hundreds of families that were regarded as traitors and collaborators in the eyes of tribes rebelling against Roman rule in the early 2nd century CE.

Cause(way) for celebration in Northern Ireland

In what the Belfast Telegraph is calling a "gigantic accolade", the Giant's Causeway, a unique volcanic formation and world heritage site on the edge of Northern Ireland's Antrim plateau, has been named the United Kingdom's best heritage attraction, according to the British Travel Awards.

The awards are determined by consumer polling, which makes the win all the more impressive given that the UK boasts many well-known historical sites. Apparently other short-listed contenders included the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall and Stirling and Edinburgh Castles in Scotland.

And for anyone interested in knowing the Giant's Causeway got its name, you will the story of Irish Giant Fionn MacCumhain here.

James Bond: Chief marketer for VisitBritain

With marketing for the latest instalment of the James Bond franchise - Spectre - in high gear, I learned a new turn of phrase today: "set-jetting." Used by news portal India Today to describe those whose idea of a holiday is travelling to popular film sets, Spectre offers a seemingly not-to-be-missed opportunity for VisitBritain to market the country to film fans. 

Front and centre of course is world heritage site Blenheim Palace, built in the 18th century for the first Duke of Marlborough, and in the film doubling as the Palazzo Cadenza in Italy.

Living near a world heritage site in the UK pays dividends

Pity those who live near a famous landmark: constant tour bus traffic, blocked driveways, gawking tourists, etc. However, there may be a silver lining, at least if you are living in the United Kingdom. As reported this week by Zoopla, a real estate website, UK properties near a world heritage are valued 27 percent more on average than comparable properties elsewhere.

Zoopla's research also found that property values increase the longer an area has enjoyed world heritage status. Thus, homes located close to the first ten sites in the UK to be inscribed as world heritage sites, including Bath, Stonehenge and Blenheim Palace, enjoy an average property value of £424,873 (USD644.936), compared with just £274,611 (USD416,846) for sites inscribed since 2000.

Although real estate is already beyond the means of many in the UK, a takeway from this study is that anyone with a few hundred thousands pounds to spare should be keeping an eye on the UK's tentative list of properties being considered for world heritage status. Buy now and you might enjoy a windfall in years to come!

Controversy in Edinburgh over planned development at world heritage site

The continuing controversy over a plan to develop a luxury hotel in Edinburgh and its impact on the city's world heritage status rumbles on, although The National newspaper has noted that, even if the plan is approved, it will be “some time” before Edinburgh is considered for removal from the world heritage list.

While the depth of feeling being generated by the controversy is a testament to the importance of a heritage designation in the eyes of the public, it also illustrates the fine line that separate politics from the technical process of determining whether a given world heritage site is in danger or should be de-listed altogether.

Petition against Stonehenge tunnel

As the UK government pushes forward with its plans to establish an expressway tunnel under Stonehenge linking the M3 and M5 motorways, opposition by conservationists, historians and environmentalists is gathering pace. Notably, activists have launched a petition against the government's plans that has - to date - attracted almost 20,000 signatures. 

Stonehenge is perhaps the UK's most iconic world heritage site, and one hopes the govenrment will re-think its plans with respect to the tunnel.