UNESCO assessors have visited Kent and northern France to evaluate a proposal that would give the White Cliffs of Dover, Samphire Hoe and the Kent Downs international recognition for their shared geological story with the French coast — with a decision expected in 2027.
Sites that many Kent residents will recognise — the White Cliffs of Dover, Abbots Cliff, Samphire Hoe Country Park and The Warren in Folkestone — could gain UNESCO Global Geopark status if an international bid succeeds. Assessors have now visited both sides of the Channel as part of the formal evaluation, marking a significant step forward in an application that has been years in the making.
A shared chalk story
The proposed Cross-Channel Geopark would link the Kent Downs National Landscape with the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale in France, and the marine stretch of the English Channel between them. The geological case rests on the chalk running beneath both coastlines — the same rock that forms the White Cliffs on one side and the cliffs of northern France on the other. Around 450,000 years ago, a megaflood tore through a chalk ridge connecting Britain to mainland Europe, carving out what would eventually become the Channel. Britain was reconnected to mainland Europe several times as sea levels rose and fell during later ice ages; the final separation, which left Britain an island, came around 8,000 years ago.
Why UNESCO status matters
A UNESCO Global Geopark designation recognises areas where the geology is considered internationally significant and where that heritage is actively tied to education, conservation and sustainable tourism. It is not simply a badge for pretty scenery.
Nick Johannsen FLI, Director at Kent Downs National Landscape and aspiring UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark, said the ambition had been long-standing and strongly supported by Kent County Council and many other partners in Kent and France, and that the programme had already created significant investment in Kent and important new partnerships, including with Eurotunnel — described as the founding commercial partner — and the Port of Dover. Jamie Henderson, Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Public Health, said the bid could bring international recognition to Kent’s natural heritage and create opportunities in education, conservation and sustainable tourism for generations to come.
What happens next
Schools, community groups, businesses and volunteers have all been drawn in across Kent, alongside a network of Geopark Ambassadors. The story of the megaflood is already displayed at Samphire Hoe Country Park. But the UNESCO designation itself will not be confirmed until 2027.
Sources
- Kent County Council: Millions of years in the making: Kent’s bid for UNESCO status (5 October 2026)
- Kent Downs National Landscape
Main picture: Shakespeare Cliff, Dover. Picture: Colin Smith / Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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