Get ready for British Beachcombing Weekend

The UK’s leading provider of holiday cottages, cottages4you has today announced the first ever British Beachcombing Weekend on 25th – 27th July 2008 to encourage families of all ages to holiday closer to home by exploring Britain’s dramatic coastline and to help protect future marine life living off our shores.

Launched in association with marine charity Shark Trust, the weekend is a great excuse to make a trip to one (or more) of our beaches to partake in beachcombing, which involves wandering along the beach and searching for unusual finds, which can include anything from semi precious stones, drift wood, Costa Rican sea beans or even shark egg cases!

During British Beachcombing Weekend, cottages4you is campaigning for all beachcombers to help UK charity, the Shark Trust, by identifying and logging their shark egg case finds, sometimes known as mermaid’s purses, to help with the conservation of skates and rays. An identification chart, detailing how to log your findings, a guide to beachcombing, suggested beaches and where to stay can be found at http://blog.cottages4you.co.uk/beachcombing. As further encouragement, beachcombers can send in their beachcombing experiences to the site for a chance to win their very own basking shark!

In recent decades several species of skates and rays around the British coast have dramatically declined in numbers. The empty egg cases that wash up on to our beaches all year round are an easily accessible source of information on the whereabouts of skate and ray nursery grounds. The identification of these critical areas will enable the Shark Trust to propose conservation measures, in order to reverse the decline of these charismatic animals.

Andrew Barningham, Marketing, Planning and Distribution Director, cottages4you, said: “With more families choosing to holiday in the UK this year, the weekend offers the perfect low cost excuse to explore the delights of Britain’s coast during the school holidays, whatever the weather!

“Guests at our 9,000 holiday cottages across the UK, many located around coastal areas, are always looking for new and interesting things to do, and this provides the perfect activity whilst helping a worthwhile conservation charity in the process. I personally can’t wait to get out there beachcombing with the kids to see what wonders we can find.”

Ali Hood, Director of Conservation at Shark Trust, said: “Beachcombing is a great way for people to learn more about our marine environment. It can turn a simple walk on the beach into a real adventure.”

“The Shark Trust is keen to encourage the public to join the Great Eggcase Hunt, beachcombing for shark and ray eggs. With more than ten different eggs to find, it is a great way to help the Trust learn more about the distribution of sharks, skates and rays around our coast. Whether you join an organised event, or go eggcase hunting on your own, everything you need for a successful hunt can be found online or by contacting the Shark Trust direct.”

For more information about cottages4you, to book a break near to a beachcombing beach or find out more about beachcombing, including the competition to win a shark, visit http://blog.cottages4you.co.uk/beachcombing.

Britain’s Top Ten Beaches for Beachcombing announced 2007 by Cottages4you in association with Qualitycoast.org:

1. Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire
2. Newgale Beach, Pembrokeshire
3. Westward Ho! Beach, Devon
4. Cowes, Isle of Wight
5. Camber, East Sussex
6. Frinton on Sea, Frinton Beach, Essex
7. Herne Bay East, Kent
8. Barmston, East Yorkshire
9. Combe Martin Beach, Devon
10. Cresswell Dunes & Foreshore, Northumberland