Jodrell Bank added to UNESCO World Heritage List

Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The observatory becomes the 32nd UNESCO World Heritage Site in the UK and joins the prestigious list alongside international sites such as Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal.

Jodrell Bank, owned by the University of Manchester, is famous as the home of the Lovell Telescope, the world’s third largest steerable radio telescope. Completed in 1957, the dish was the largest of its kind anywhere in the world until 1973 and was the catalyst for the construction of many other large scale satellite dishes.

The Lovell Telescope’s first act was to track the Soviet Union’s Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. Today, Jodrell operates the UK’s national e-MERLIN radio telescope and hosts the global headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array, a radio telescope project that will build the world’s largest telescope, comprised of a network of instruments sited in South Africa and Australia.

The addition of Jodrell Bank to the UNESCO World Heritage List is in recognition of its outstanding scientific heritage including its pioneering role in the development of radio astronomy and its work in tracking spacecraft in the early space race, and its research into quasars, pulsars and gravitational lenses. The site has evidence of every stage of the history of radio astronomy, from its emergence as a new science in the 1940s through to the present day.

HERITAGE MINISTER REBECCA POW SAID:

“I am delighted that Jodrell Bank has become the UK’s 32nd UNESCO World Heritage Site. The research completed here has transformed our understanding of the Universe and it is right that this is recognised.”

“Today’s announcement will make sure that this remarkable site will continue to inspire young scientists and astronomers all over the world.”

TERESA ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF THE JODRELL BANK DISCOVERY CENTRE SAID:

“This is wonderful news and a great day in the history of Jodrell Bank. It honours the pioneering work of Sir Bernard Lovell and the early scientists here, together with the world-leading research that continues to this day.”

“Receiving this recognition will help us tell their story and the story of the communities connected to the site both across the UK and worldwide.”

PROFESSOR DAME NANCY ROTHWELL, PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER SAID:

“I’m absolutely delighted to hear that the Jodrell Bank Observatory site has been assigned World Heritage status by UNESCO. This is fitting recognition of the history of science and discovery at Jodrell Bank, and the work that continues today.”

“Indeed, the site is fantastic for the University because of its heritage, its teaching and its research, and also because it is a place where many members of the public come to learn and be inspired about science.”

In 2017 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) increased the Observatory’s recognition in the National Heritage List for England. The Mark II Telescope joined the Lovell Telescope in being listed at Grade I, the highest form of protection, with a further five buildings listed at Grade II. Together, these listings recognised the pivotal role played by the Observatory in the development of the science of radio astronomy, revolutionising our understanding of the universe.

The decision to add Jodrell Bank Observatory to the UNESCO World Heritage List was taken at the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan.

MINISTER AND AMBASSADOR OF UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT-BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TO UNESCO, MATTHEW LODGE, SAID:

“Congratulations to the Jodrell Bank Observatory for becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



UNESCO World Heritage Sites celebrate and safeguard our shared past. They are places of distinct cultural and natural significance for the development of human history. I am delighted that Jodrell Bank Observatory is becoming one of them.  



Set in rural Cheshire, Jodrell Bank is one of the earliest sites for radio astronomy and the world’s only site with evidence of every stage of the emergence of this new science since 1945. 



It is an icon of world-class science and engineering with a history of tremendous scientific achievements that have revolutionised our understanding of the Universe. The site is home to a vast variety of early scientific equipment, buildings and discoveries such as the Lovell Telescope, the world’s largest telescope in 1957 and the third largest today and a bearing witness of the UK’s pivotal role in radio astronomy. 



But Jodrell Bank is more than just a relic from the post-war flourishing of research technology. It is also a beacon and centre of excellence for world-leading research and education, reminding us that there is far more to the Universe than meets the eye. It is part of one of the UK’s leading universities, the University of Manchester, and hub of the UK’s national array of seven radio telescopes.

And let us remember that, as befits a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jodrell Bank is a symbol of international collaboration and the exchange of ideas and values. The Observatory cooperates with leading institutions and scientists worldwide to help us all to better understand our place in the Universe through cutting-edge discoveries in astronomy, quantum optics, satellite communications and many other fields. It also welcomes numerous visitors each year to capture their imagination and engage the world with science.



Jodrell Bank’s rich scientific heritage bears testimony to the UK’s leading role in science research worldwide. Becoming the UK’s 32 UNESCO World Heritage Site is a great accolade for the Observatory, Cheshire and all of the UK.”

HELEN MACLAGAN OBE, NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR CULTURE THE UK NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO, SAID:

“I’m delighted to see Jodrell Bank Observatory join the World Heritage List. The contrast between this property and the English Lake District, the previous UK inscription, demonstrates vividly the breadth and diversity of global heritage. This, the first 20th Century Observatory on the World Heritage List now sits alongside Stonehenge and Avebury – one of the UK’s first World Heritage inscriptions – whose astronomical significance is still being explored.

At Jodrell Bank, the birthplace of radio-astronomy, the story of the development of this science is written in the landscape – and what a story it is, from early experiment to international scientific collaboration, featuring inspirational individuals such as Bernard Lovell and many others.

It’s a wonderful and atmospheric place, as well as an iconic feature in the local landscape – and indeed further afield, as evidenced when it featured on the series of British Technology postage stamps in 1966.

Jodrell Bank is a hugely worthy addition to the World Heritage List. The site already has a well-established reputation for public engagement and has much to bring to the portfolio of existing UNESCO designations within the UK. Many congratulations to the dedicated and hard-working team, who worked faster than some thought possible – and welcome aboard!”

JAMES BRIDGE, SECRETARY-GENERAL AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND UK NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO, SAID:

“Congratulations to Jodrell Bank UNESCO World Heritage Site!

The recognition by UNESCO of the outstanding universal value of Jodrell Bank, a University of Manchester body, symbolises the UK’s and its universities’, engineers’, educators’ and scientists’ role both in contributing to the foundations and cutting edge of science and engineering in the past and a how they, as part of a global community, will build on this legacy in the future”.

Already world famous to the scientific and engineering community, UNESCO recognition acknowledges Jodrell Bank’s contribution to building educational, scientific and cultural and communication links between the world’s people’s, nations and multilateral bodies, as part of UNESCO’s constitutional aim of building the defences of peace in the minds of women and men.”

NOTES TO EDITORS