One in ten UK children has never set foot on a British beach
British children are missing out on the nation's hidden gems as it has been revealed that 11 per cent of kids under the age of 14 have never been to the beach in the UK.
While one in 10 has never set foot on a British beach, research from First Great Western found that more than a third (36 per cent) of children in the UK has never made a sandcastle. Over half (53 per cent) have not fished for crabs, 38 per cent have never eaten an ice cream on a British beach, 43 per cent have never held a shell to their ear to 'listen to the sound of the sea' and 52 per cent have never skimmed stones in the sea.
The study also revealed that 65 per cent of the UK's Generation Z – those born after the millennium – have never been beside the sea in Cornwall, and 68 per cent have never been to play in the sand in Devon, both of which are home to some of the most beautiful beaches, including Watergate Bay in Cornwall, Porthcressa in the Isle of Scilly and Dawlish in Devon.
It is not only the British seaside which children are missing out on as 80 per cent of British children have not been to Stonehenge, 85 per cent have never been to the Roman Baths in Bath, 73 per cent have never visited the Tower of London and 54 per cent haven't been to a farm.
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It seems that times have changed, with 68 per cent of parents stating they really enjoyed visiting a UK beach when they were children, along with almost half (45 per cent) saying they enjoyed visiting castles in the UK, and over a third (35 per cent) enjoyed going on camping holidays.
A quarter of parents (26 per cent) now believe that overseas holidays are cheaper. The good old British weather also plays a big part in decision-making, with almost half of parents (45 per cent) choosing to take kids abroad because of the poor UK weather.
"A lot of individuals and families may not even know about the plentiful beaches, landscapes and landmarks the UK has to offer," says Philip Edgerton, Head of Marketing at First Great Western.
Working with locals and celebrities across the UK, First Great Western is pledging to help British families to discover something new in 2014, with a guide to the hidden gems of the UK via its Facebook app, The Inside Track.
Actress Caroline Quentin, from Devon, said: "I've always loved travelling to UK landmarks and landscapes with my family. We're so lucky to live in Devon where there's a wealth of stunning natural beauty. My children have been lucky enough to grow up by the English seaside and experience all the great things I did, and loved, as kid in the great outdoors."
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