Jodrell Bank Observatory has been chosen as the next UK candidate to go forward to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to become a World Heritage Site.
The formal submission of papers in January means that the observatory is now being put forward as the UK’s 2019 world heritage nomination.
The observatory, part of the University of Manchester, is home to the Grade I Listed Lovell Telescope and is a site of global importance in the history of radio astronomy.
Founded in 1945, it is the earliest radio astronomy observatory in the world still in existence, and pioneered the exploration of the universe using radio waves.
The UK currently has 31 World Heritage Sites, with The Lake District having been inscribed in 2017.
In order to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site, nominations must show that they possess ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, which transcends borders.
The nomination will now be formally assessed by the International Council of Sites and Monuments before the World Heritage Committee decides whether it will join the likes of The Great Barrier Reef, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China as a designated World Heritage Site.
Cheshire East Council leader Cllr Rachel Bailey hailed the news as ‘fantastic’ and said: “This is fantastic news for Jodrell Bank and for Cheshire East. It is so important that we protect its rich heritage and celebrate its work both now and in the future.”
She added: “Jodrell Bank observatory is a vital asset to this borough, the nation and the international scientific community and it is fantastic that its global impact and value have been recognised with nomination by the British government for Unesco World Heritage status.”
Jodrell Bank is the only site in the world that includes evidence of every stage of the post-1945 development of radio astronomy.
As well as the Lovell Telescope, it also includes the Grade I Listed Mark II Telescope and the Park Royal building, which was the control room for the Transit Telescope, whose detection of radio waves from the Andromeda Galaxy confirmed that the Universe extends beyond our own galaxy.
Michael Ellis, minister for arts, heritage and tourism, said: “Jodrell Bank played a central role in transforming our understanding of the Universe and is therefore a site of global importance.
“The nomination process for UNESCO is rightly thorough but I believe Jodrell Bank deserves to be recognised. The diverse heritage of the UK is world renowned and the observatory would be a worthy addition to our list of World Heritage Sites.”
Professor Teresa Anderson, Director of Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre said: “The Jodrell Bank Observatory, and Lovell Telescope in particular, have become icons of science and engineering around the world and we’re delighted to reach this milestone.
“We have been preparing the case for nomination for inclusion of Jodrell Bank on the World Heritage list for several years now and we look forward to showcasing its rich scientific heritage on the international stage.”
Professor Tim O’Brien, Associate Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, added: “Jodrell Bank really is an iconic site and institution, not just here in the northwest of England but to people around the world.
“It is the one remaining site, worldwide which has been a working observatory from the very first days of radio astronomy to the present day. It’s important that we protect its rich heritage as we celebrate its current and future work.”
Cllr Bailey concluded: “Making Jodrell Bank observatory a World Heritage site would be a fitting recognition for this unique, inspirational and much-loved landmark. It also exemplifies what makes Cheshire East so special as a place to live, work and visit.”
The observatory, part of the University of Manchester, was founded in 1945 when Sir Bernard Lovell moved his laboratory from the smog and radio interference of the city to the clearer skies of Cheshire. It is known worldwide for its pioneering work and is now the earliest surviving radio astronomy observatory, including structures on the still-working site from every phase of the development of the science.
The Lovell telescope, nearly 90m tall, was the first of its kind in the world, and is still the third largest. Like the later Mark II telescope, it already has Grade I listing and, last August, Historic England also listed the collection of industrial sheds surrounding it – including the Lovell’s 1950s control room and the electrical workshop that served as site office, library and lecture room.
The listing was announced to mark the 60th anniversary of the Lovell first beginning to collect radio waves from across the universe. Two months later, in October 1957, it tracked Russia’s Sputnik I as it streaked across the skies.
