CHESTER AND YORK have often been compared by those visiting the two cities. And although comparisons may not always be helpful, there are many similarities the two cities boast: both enjoy far-reaching legacies stretching back to the Roman era, both house spectacular cathedrals, both have a river flowing through their center, and both are national magnets for shoppers and visitors alike.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise this week to learn York has been confirmed as one of the seven UK sites in the running for UNESCO World Heritage Status. If successful, York would join the company of 33 other World Heritage Sites already based in the UK, including the City of Bath, Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall.
Gaining UNESCO World Heritage Status would be a fantastic opportunity for York. Current holders of the prestigious status command international recognition and promote themselves on the global stage. In 2019, Stonehenge received 1.6m visitors to its World Heritage Site; likewise, the UNESCO City of Bath welcomed more than 6.2m visitors to its World Heritage Sites.
It is widely known that I wish to support the preparation of a similar bid for World Heritage Status for Chester. Our city is peppered with culturally significant sites. Our city walls are the oldest, longest and most complete city walls in the UK, parts of which are around 2,000 years old. Chester Cathedral has been a place of worship and a community pillar since medieval times. The Rows are a living, breathing organism of human history, with the country’s oldest shopfront housed on Bridge Street.
promote its fantastic shopping and leisure offerings to the rest of the world, by gaining World Heritage Status. We have a real case to put forward for our historic city Rows as a place that people have visited to shop and trade for almost a millennium. Trends come and go, human activity shifts and changes, but the Rows have always remained.
Since being elected, I’ve worked closely with Rachel Maskell, MP for York Central, on common issues our constituents face: the cost of living, access to dentistry, NHS waiting times, affordability and supply of housing. Hopefully, I will be working with her on a World Heritage Status application for the City of Chester soon.
I wish the City of York, and other UK sites, every success with their applications. I’ll be following their progress with keen interest.