World Heritage Day Events
Welcome to Yorkshire.....England's biggest and most glorious county. Yorkshire is extremely lucky and proud to have not just one but two World Heritage sites, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal in Ripon and Saltaire in Bradford. The two sites are joining forces to celebrate International World Heritage Day.
This year there is an exciting programme of events for all ages. An eclectic combination of Alpacas, stone-carving, eighteenth century costumes, canal boats, treasure hunts, actors and much more will provide a fun weekend of activities.
World Heritage Day, otherwise known as the 'International Day for Monuments and Sites' is celebrated on 18th April every year to raise awareness about the diversity of global cultural and natural heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, so make sure you do your part by paying a visit to these unique worldly renowned sites and learn more about their past and find your own special part of Yorkshire.
What's on
.....
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal will be bringing the eighteenth century water garden to life with their 'In the Frame' event on Saturday 16th April - Sunday 17th April. Visitors will be invited to follow a trail which leads between six empty frames in the designed landscape, each inset with a painting of the period which epitomises how the eighteenth century pleasure grounds would have been used in their heyday.
Visitors will be invited to consider the creative genius of the designers, the Aislabies', in creating such a spectacular landscape and think about how the views have changed in the past two hundred years. Meet and learn from the costumed actors who will promenade around the grounds, never shy to impart their wisdom onto visitors and give their learned opinion on the artwork.
Children are invited to take part in a trail around the grounds, with the opportunity to collect stickers to create their own designed landscape, and then put their skills into practice with the children's craft activities in Swanley Grange around the theme of wildflowers.
For further information about the event and more detailed programmes please click here
It's all go at Saltaire as well with the whole community coming together to create a varied programme of events from Friday 15th April - Monday 18th April with something for everyone to enjoy.
The purpose built 'model' Victorian industrial village, created by the entrepreneur and philanthropist Titus Salt in the nineteenth century, will play host to stone-carving demonstrations, talks by the 
Saltaire History Club about, 'The Changing Faces of Saltaire's Waterfronts' and a specially commissioned multimedia event called, 'What Did Titus Do For Us'. A canal barge complete with exhibition will appear on the Leeds-Liverpool canal and the Hall Royd Band will perform in the bandstand. Get your thinking caps on and take part in the family treasure hunt that is running over the four days.
Pay a visit to the historical Victoria Hall on Monday 18th April (10am - 4pm) and witness the magnificent 'Mighty Wurlitzer' in all of its musical glory.
Don't miss the real life Alpaca parade at 1.30pm from the canal to the Mill, see the real life Alpaca from Greenside Alpacas in the company of some newly decorated friends. The Scouts, Woodcraft Folk, Vicars, Saltaire Festival, Friends of Roberts Park and Saltaire Village Society have each decorated an alpaca and are taking part in a parade.
To find out more information of what's happening and events for the weekend please click here
Why are Saltaire and Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal World Heritage Sites?
UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organisation) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. There are 911 World Heritage Sites worldwide, 704 of which are cultural, 180 natural and 27 both cultural and mixed. Famous World Heritage Sites include the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China and the Great Barrier Reef.
What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage Sites belong to everybody in the world, irrespective of which country they are located.
Studley Royal Park including the ruins of Fountains Abbey, was designated a World Heritage Site in 1986. It combines into one harmonious whole buildings, gardens and landscapes constructed over a period of 800 years. The eighteenth century water garden, Cistercian abbey, Jacobean Fountains Hall and Victorian High Gothic church are all important in their own right and have been integrated into a landscape of exceptional beauty. Although many may think that the Abbey is the reason the estate is a World Heritage Site in fact it is because a humanised landscape of exceptional value was created around the largest medieval ruins in the United Kingdom.
Saltaire was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 due to it being an exceptionally complete and well preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. Built by Victorian philanthropist Titus Salt to house the workers for his alpaca mill, Saltaire was a stark contrast to the other 'dark satanic mills' of the age. The town planning and social welfare ideas manifested in Saltaire were influential in the 19th century garden city movement in the United Kingdom and ultimately internationally.
For further information click here
