12 Of The Best Places To Be In London During A Heatwave

12 Of The Best Places To Be In London During A Heatwave
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1. Go for a swim at Kings Cross Pond Club

It's not just an another lido, it's an art installation you can swim in. The 40 metre natural pool is the UK's first ever man-made fresh water pond, created by artist Marjetica Potrc. And it won't be there forever, so it's a good idea to dive in now.

2. Enjoy a movie at the Rooftop Film Club

The Rooftop Film Club has four venues in Peckham, Shoreditch, Stratford and Kensington, and tons of films from cult classics to new releases. You'd be silly not to relax in the deckchairs and enjoy a summer evening at one of their movie nights.

3. Have one too many at Dalson Roof Park

Nothing screams summer like drinking on a rooftop, and Dalton Roof Park is the perfect place for it. They'll be hosting loads of events from now until September, including clothes swaps, film screenings, yoga and music nights. You can get a membership for just £5, so your social schedule will be packed for the rest of the sunny months.

4. Go for a dip in the lakes at Hampstead Heath

There are few places in London that make you feel like you're actually in a Jane Austen novel. Surround yourself with lily pads and greenery in the vast ponds at Hampstead Heath. There's a ladies' pond, a mens' pond and a mixed pond, and they're all free.

5. Take a picnic to Trent Park -- the closest you'll get to actual countryside

Anyone who has ever travelled on the Piccadilly Line will have giggled when the tube driver says 'Cockfosters,' and now it's your chance to visit the magical land. It's in zone 5 but it's totally worth the trip. Trent Park is a five minute walk from the station and you'll feel like you're 500 miles away from London. Lovely for sunny summer walks.

6. Pay a visit to Hackney City Farm

What's not to love about being surrounded by farm animals? It's a child-friendly alternative to boozing on a roof garden on a hot day.

7. Try out some street food at KERB's new riverside West India Quay location

KERB is a culmination of all that's good about street food. Every Wednesday to Friday throughout the summer (from 1 July) you'll find 10 of the best street food traders on the quayside. Enjoy some amazing food, have a drink and enjoy the good music and happy vibes.

8. Go and have the best ice cream in London from Nonna's Gelato on Broadway Market

Seriously, last week the flavours included porter and chocolate ripple, eton mess, salted toffee apple and chocolate and orange sorbet. How can you resist amazing gelato served off the back of a bike-come-freezer at Broadway Market?

9. Camden Beach is coming back on 17th July. Be ready.

If you're trapped in London and dreaming of Barbados, the next best thing is Camden Beach. The Roundhouse drop 150 tonnes of sand in their garden, and all you've got to do is pack your beach bag and get a deck chair. It'll be open from 17 July, and the organisers are promising pop-up restaurants, ping pong, beach huts and 'more bars than you can shake a spade at'.

When we think of mini golf, we think of summertime day dates. Putt In The Park provides the perfect location. No booking required, so just rock up and play.

11. Head to Tattershall Castle for a beer on a boat

If you can't be on a cruise in the Med, get on a boat named after a castle in the Thames. There's loads going on over the summer, but we're mostly drawn to 'Gin Time Thursdays'.

12. Spend an evening at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Take a picnic blanket and enjoy the outdoor theatre in one of London's finest parks. From now until September, the Open Air Theatre is showing The Seagull, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and Lord Of The Flies.