World heritage hope for Brontë landscape

Alongside the City of York, they are among 38 applicants from the UK hoping to become a World Heritage Site, elevating them to a status enjoyed by the likes of the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty. Now a Government panel will sort through the contenders – which also include Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, Offa's Dyke, Brunel's Great Western Railway and the Lake District – before deciding which should be put forward to Unesco next year.

Tourism and Heritage Minister John Penrose said: "The UK's heritage is world class and this list represents the unique variety and history present in all corners of this country and our overseas territories.

"We wanted a strong and varied list to eventually put to Unesco and I'm delighted that so many wonderful, diverse places have been put forward.

"Any list that includes Jodrell Bank, the Forth Bridge, Blackpool and the Turks and Caicos Islands certainly doesn't lack variety. But what all 38 sites have in common is a wow factor and a cultural resonance that makes them real contenders to sit alongside The Pyramids and Red Square in this most distinguished of gatherings."

There are currently more than 800 World Heritage sites, and the Government proposes to submit a "tentative list" of new candidates next year.

The Bront landscape and village of Haworth have stunned viewers in films and television programmes, while York's official bid is centred on its archaeology.

The UK currently has 28 World Heritage sites, including Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, and Saltaire, near Shipley, in West Yorkshire.

Other locations include Stonehenge, Canterbury Cathedral, Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh and Bath.