The historic environment includes historic buildings, ancient monuments (such as castles, abbeys, standing stones and industrial remains), shipwreck sites, archaeological sites, and historic parks, gardens and landscapes.
There are currently 28 World Heritage Sites (WHS) in the UK. They vary greatly and include archaeological sites, historic buildings, natural formations, urban centres and industrial landscapes.
The U.S. secretary of state's tour of the industrial northwest, accompanied by her UK counterpart Jack Straw, saw her visit historicsites, meet with dignitaries and attend gala events.