Wallsend sits at the end of Hadrian's Wall which is a 'World Heritage Site'. The complete Wall is the only Roman World Heritage site in Britain and is the largest of all the British examples. Its universal significance lies in its complexity and high level of survival as the most elaborate of all the frontier works of the Roman Empire. It was inscribed on the World Heritage Register in 1987.

There are over 500 World Heritage Sites spread throughout most countries in the world. They include famous places such as the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and the Galapagos Islands, as well as lesser known but equally significant sites such as Great Zimbabwe Ruins or the Kakadu National Park in Australia. What they all have in common is that they are inscribed by UNESCO on the Register of World Heritage Sites and are thereby recognised as being of universal significance to all humanity. 

There are 14 World Heritage Sites in Britain, including, apart from Hadrian's Wall, the cities of Edinburgh and Bath, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution at Ironbridge, the palace and Abbey of Westminster, the Tower of London, Blenheim Palace and the prehistoric monuments of Avebury and Stonehenge. 

World Heritage Sites are inscribed on the nomination of the national government who must first adhere to the 1972 World Heritage Convention. Under Article 4 of the Convention, national governments recognise their obligation to care for their natural and cultural heritage. British law contains a large amount of legislation to protect heritage sites, and the British government has introduced no new legislation for World Heritage Sites. It has recognised their special significance in guidance on the planning system and has urged that management plans should be in place for each of them. A management plan for the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site was completed in July, 1996.