Managing World Heritage
The Hadrian's Wall Trust co-ordinates the sustainable development and conservation of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site (WHS). Hadrian’s Wall has been a WHS since 1987 (it is now officially part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire WHS) and is one of the more complex sites on the register: over its 150-mile length it crosses two government regions and 12 local authorities, has over 800 owners and tenants and at least eight separate agencies (Senhouse Museum Trust, Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, English Heritage, The National Trust, Northumberland National Park Authority, Vindolanda Trust, Tyne & Wear Museums, Newcastle University) running different Roman sites open to the public alongside agencies running non-Roman sites, visitor centres and museums. The Wall was the first UK site to have a Management Plan (completed in 1997 and revised in 2002 for a five-year period) setting out key principles designed to protect and enhance its significance, and to ensure that it is enjoyed and appreciated by both visitors and local people. The UK government requires World Heritage Sites to have regularly updated plans and, in addition, UNESCO requires sites to have a ‘management framework’.
In 2008 HWT produced the 2008-14 Management Plan. This involved wide consultation with the numerous individuals, organisations and partnerships that have an interest (sometimes a conflicting interest) in Hadrian’s Wall and its landscape. The resulting plan covers the Wall’s protection, promotion, conservation, use and enjoyment will be the result of successful partnerships working together. The new plan provides a framework through which partners can co-operate to implement policies and actions designed to achieve sustainable management of the Hadrian’s Wall WHS.
A number of interest groups have been set up to implement the Plan over the coming years. Please see Interest Groups and Action Plans on the following pages.
