Visiting old buildings and historic towns has the biggest positive impact on a person's wellbeing, a new study by English Heritage has revealed.
In fact, trips to heritage sites make Brits happier than playing sports or walking around art galleries. English Heritage placed a monetary value on the pleasure generated by taking part in certain activities and found that across the course of a year, £1,614-worth of happiness is derived from visiting heritage sites, whereas just £993 is generated from sporting activities, reports telegraph.co.uk.
Last year, some 73 per cent of adults took a trip to a historic site, as did 69 per cent of children aged between five and 15. Sir Laurie Magnus, the chairman of English Heritage, described the country's historic places as a "force for good".
"It enhances the quality of our surroundings, provides employment, helps underpin our national identity and generally lifts our spirits," he stated. "This year's Heritage Counts provides critical evidence to show the contribution that the historic environment makes towards turning the government's objective of improving the nation's wellbeing into reality."
Heritage sites also have a significant impact on the economy; in 2011, they generated a total of £26.4 billion, according to VisitBritain. The UK ranks fifth out of 50 countries for its richness of historic attractions too, reports english-heritage.org.uk.
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