This week London is hot. Like, really hot. Apocalyptically boiling, in fact. The Met Office reckons that the Big Smoke will reach the high 30Cs on June 23-25, potentially even hitting 40C.
Now, the Big Smoke in summer is a wonderful place – but this city, with all its concrete and un-air-conditioned tube carriages, is not made for extreme heat. Londoners love a good heatwave, using any excuse to slip on flip-flops and make a beeline for the nearest pub garden, but this is the kind of weather where cramming in somewhere with loads of other people has rarely seemed less appealing.
Sure, there are great beer gardens, fancy rooftop bars and our dear old friend THE PARK, but are they actually cool? Not necessarily. Time to think laterally (without actually having to ask an assistant in Iceland if there’s a wifi password). Here’s our guide to the city’s best places to stay cool, from ice rinks to air-conditioned museums.
The best places in London to stay cool
Ice skating
Ice skating might be about staying on your feet, but you won’t mind slipping over too much at Queens Ice and Bowl in Bayswater, where the surface temperature is, of course, freezing all year round. Don’t be tempted to go bowling though, or you’ll immediately become a hot mess again.
Old London buildings
While there’s no definitive answer to the question of which is London’s chilliest building, older generally means colder. Unlike your flimsy newbuilds, these babies have metre-thick walls and great insulation. If you can face the Central line – officially the hottest on the tube – then go and tick St Paul’s Cathedral off your (ice) bucket list (you can get there on foot, too, obvs. Just make sure to stay hydrated.) The crypt, with its tombs of Wren, Nelson and Wellington should be blissfully cool.
Likewise, the draughty Tower of London. The site of all those grisly executions might give you an icy frisson too, like a goose with very poor circulation walking over your grave. Or just wander around the City or Canary Wharf: all those glittering towers create some fierce down-draughts.
Air-conditioned museums
Bonus: London’s museums and galleries have to regulate their air temperature and humidity to conserve their exhibits. And who’s to say you shouldn’t be the accidental beneficiary of some true air-con artistry at say, Tate Britain or the Wallace Collection? In the summer months, these slightly quieter institutions are a better bet than the tourist traps – but still free-entry treasure troves. Book in advance, though.
Caves and forests
Why not unleash your inner spelunker and take a wander around the famous Chislehurst Caves near Bromley for just £7? Even in high summer, you can sometimes see your breath as you navigate this endless labyrinth of Roman mines. After chills? Its website advises: ‘The Caves may not be suitable for those of a very nervous disposition, with claustrophobia or an acute fear of darkness or mannequins.’ You have been warned.
Instead of baking your brain in a park, head to London’s shady woodlands. North London boasts Highgate and Queens Woods; south London has Sydenham Hill and Oxleas Woods.
Lakes and lidos
There’s no doubting the cool-factor of the lidos at Brockwell Park and London Fields. Consider also having a splash around in more open water, in the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park, or the Hampstead Heath Ponds. Time to take the plunge!
Public fountains
More for the kids than grown-ups, but still. The likes of Granary Square, the The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Water Labyrinth and Hyde Park’s Diana Memorial Fountain all allow paddling (and they’re all free)
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