The Coastline around the UK stretches for some 6,000 miles. Around 60% of this is located in Scotland and the off-shore islands The place in the UK that is furthest from the sea is reckoned to be Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire - located just north of Tamworth in the West Midlands The UK is actually made up of over 1,000 separate islands – 291 of which are inhabitedCoastal
The UK’s love affair with the seaside has lasted for hundreds of years. Whether it’s building sandcastles, scoffing ice cream or simply watching the world go by from a deck chair, the British seaside is home to some classic coastal delights.
But in the future, will we have to lay out our towels at 6am like we already do in the crowded resorts abroad? It is possible. Our survey found that 23% of 45-54 year olds would move to the coast if universal connectivity enabled them to work anywhere in the country. But this number dropped the younger the respondent was: 21% of 35 – 44 year olds; 15% of 25-34 year olds; and only 16% of 18-24 year olds (these guys still favour the city life with 29%) wanted to live there.
The British seaside has enjoyed a new lease of life in recent years, with many resort towns sprucing up their promenades and investing in new infrastructure and facilities. For those people who plan to live by the sea in future, things are set to get even better. In 2007, the government announced a £45 million investment in culture and arts construction for coastal towns, which will see £15 million invested in heritage and culture each year until 2011. These public funds will see new public spaces, galleries and concert halls giving the UK the ultimate cultured coast.
