It is a truth universally acknowledged that nothing will ruin a family day out faster than a child dropping their newly bought ice cream. Yet according to a poll commissioned by English Heritage, almost seven in ten Brits (68%) would be too polite to go back and ask for a replacement despite 70% saying that ice cream is one of the highlights of their child/grandchild’s day.

Now help is at hand as, with summer events in full swing, families across the country flock to English Heritage sites. To make sure no-one’s day falls flat, we have launched 'Ice Cream Splat Insurance'. The new policy will automatically cover visitors at 18 attractions who purchase an ice cream in a cone or cup throughout the month of August, meaning any dropped ice creams will be swiftly replaced, no questions asked.

Findings also showed that younger people are more likely to ask the difficult question; 27% of Gen Z and 22% of Millennials are willing to ask for a dropped ice cream to be replaced compared to just 16% of Boomers.

Daisy Rowe, Head of Commercial Development at English Heritage said: “No matter if you’re 9 or 99, ice cream is always a highlight of a summer day out. However, I’m sure we’ve all had that experience when the long-awaited treat arrives and ends up splat on the floor. We know how important days out are to our families for making special memories and don’t want anything to ruin that. This is why we’re so pleased to introduce ice cream splat insurance at 18 of our sites this summer.”

With delicious flavours to choose from (including Bramley Apple Crumble and Sticky Toffee Pudding)  the policy will be at 18 English Heritage sites serving scoops of Northern Bloc ice cream throughout the month of August including iconic historic sites such as Stonehenge, Osborne and Dover Castle.

If a child (or adult) drops their scooped ice cream all they need to do is return to the point of purchase with their dropped cone or cup and request a replacement.

It’s a busy summer at our sites with our new series of Great British Summer events taking place at sites across the country. Capturing the essence of a vintage seaside holiday the new event series includes fairground games, puppet shows and even the chance to build a sandcastle (see the event pages for the sites for full details of what each site will be offering). But of course no seaside day out is complete without an ice cream, which can now be purchased in total confidence.

Then there’s the return of the Legendary Joust and Knight’s Tournaments. Cheer on your medieval heroes as they do battle in the arena. And if the excitement of the moment causes an ice cream spill, make sure to claim your policy!

The English Heritage Ice Cream Splat Insurance runs from 13 to 31 August at 18 English Sites serving Northern Bloc Ice Cream. See the full terms and conditions including list of sites offering the policy.