Main Cultural Assets

The cultural assets in the UK encompass a diverse range of archaeological sites, conservation areas, battlefields, parks and gardens and listed buildings, and a number of world-class galleries, museums, libraries and other cultural venues.

Responsible Agencies and Legislative Framework

Each country within the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) has responsibility for its own historic environment, including built heritage, historic environment and archaeology.
In England, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has overall responsibility for government policy on the identification, recording, protection, conservation, enhancement and interpretation of heritage assets, and for their promotion as part of contemporary culture. DCMS also oversee the Portable Antiquities Scheme, a project to encourage the voluntary recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales.
Historic England is the government’s statutory advisor on the historic environment in England, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The historic environment is protected through the planning system and individual designations in England. Different types of heritage assets are protection in different ways and different consents are required for the carrying out of works.
In Northern Ireland responsibility for the historic environment lies with the Department for Communities. Historic Environment Scotland are the lead public body for the historic environment in Scotland, and Cadw is the Welsh Government’s historic environment service.
Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales and Creative Scotland are the national development agencies for creativity and cultural across the UK. They provide standards, funding and advocacy to ensure collections and cultural property are developed, celebrated and protected.

The main national legislation includes:
- Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953
- Protection of Wrecks Act 1973
- Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
- National Heritage Act 1983 (amended 2001)
- Town and Country Planning Act 1990
- Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
- Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990
- Planning and Compensation Act 1991
- National Lottery Act 1993
- Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
- Treasure Act 1996
- Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997
- National Heritage Act 1997
- Dealing with Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003
- Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005
- Marine (Scotland) Act 2010
- Historic Environment (Amendment)(Scotland) Act 2011
- Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011
- Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013
- Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014
- Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
- Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016
- Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023

Cultural and Natural Sites on the World Heritage List

The UK ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1984, and as of 2023 there are 33 World Heritage Sites in the UK. The 28 cultural sites include Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, the City of Bath and Stonehenge and Avebury. Natural sites include Dorset and East Devon Coast and Gough Island.

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Director-General:

• Harold J. Plenderleith (1959-1971)
• Bernard M. Feilden (1977-1981)
• Nicholas P. Stanley-Price (2000-2005)

Mandates in ICCROM Council since 1958:

ICCROM Staff since 1959: - None -

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Governmental Cultural Institutions

• Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Arts Council England
• Arts Council Northern Ireland
• Arts Council Wales
• Creative Scotland
• Cadw
• Department for Communities (Northern Ireland)
• Historic England
• Historic Environment Scotland
• National Lottery Heritage Fund

* ICCROM reserves the right to moderate the content provided by Member States for country profiles to ensure that they remain within the scope of ICCROM’s mission and pertinent to cultural heritage. However, ICCROM does not take responsibility for the accuracy and validity of the content supplied. The ideas and opinions expressed are those of the Member States.