Timeout london hikes

Various dates. Get there: 55 minutes by train from London Bridge to Headcorn then taxi; around one hour 45 minutes by car. Stripping down to your swimmers might not seem like an obvious wintertime activity, but Thames Lido is a real delight, whatever the season.

Brave the chill in the air to spend a softly lit evening in this whimsical, Grade II-listed stunner. Your post-swim reward is a festive two-course dinner in the twinkly poolside restaurant. Who said lidos are just for summer? Reading, Berkshire. Get there : 25 minutes by train from London Paddington to Reading; around one hour 15 minutes by car.

Hosting a festive shindig? Brush up on your cocktail-mixing skills at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery. Learn all about the gin-making process stellar party small talk, sorted and explore its botanical glasshouses. Take an hour-long tutored cocktail masterclass to learn how to shake up and then sample fruity blends and perfect Gin Martinis.

Bombay Sapphire Distillery. Whitchurch, Hampshire. Get there: 55 minutes by train from London Waterloo to Overton, then bus; around one hour 30 minutes by car. Teeming with half-timbered medieval halls, cute cottages and pastel-painted shopfronts, the teeny, time-warp village of Lavenham is lovely-looking at any time of the year. Wrap up warm and set off after dark to explore the stalls, funfair rides and late-night shopping in the Market Square.

Lavenham Christmas Fair. Lavenham, Suffolk. Dec Free entry. Get there : one hour 20 minutes by train from London Liverpool St to Sudbury then bus; around one hour 45 minutes by car. Winchester Cathedral Ice Rink. Winchester, Hampshire. Get there : one hour by train from London Waterloo; around one hour 40 minutes by car. Watching the light fade out of your office window hours before you leave for the day can make even the cheeriest of us feel a bit down. Rather than hibernating till March, channel your inner pagan and embrace the longer nights.

The night of Friday December 21 — aka winter solstice — is as long and dark as it gets, and Brighton is marking it by getting lit. Want to go hiking in Greater London to explore more of this corner of England? To see which of our walks in Greater London is the right one for you, browse real tips and photos uploaded by other hikers—and see what they had to say about each walk.

Check out more Hikes throughout Greater London below and find the perfect Tour in your destination. Explore more of England : Browse the best Hikes in other regions. Sign up or log in. Hiking in Greater London. Learn More. Tower of London — The shard. Planning a quick getaway soon? These are our 17 of our favourite day-tripping spots, complete with cute pubs and ace restaurants — all close enough to London to get there and back in one glorious day.

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A trip to the New Forest is about as close as you can get to going on safari without buying a plane ticket. Get there one hour 30 minutes by train from London Waterloo to Brockenhurst; around two hours by car.

Just remember that animals, not drivers, have right of way. Though it might not get shouted about the way Margate and Whitstable do, but Deal ticks all the day-trip boxes with its quaint rows of Georgian townhouses, unique boutiques and well-loved Saturday market. Parisian-style bottle shop Le Pinardier is great for stocking up on gluggable goodies, and make sure you stop by gallery-cum-homewares boutique Taylor-Jones and Son, where Delilah the sheepdog will welcome you with open paws.

Get there one hour 20 minutes b y train from London St Pancras International; around two hours by car. Biking to green and pleasant Surrey is a wheely nice way to spend a Sunday sorry — plus, Box Hill was part of the Olympic road-cycling route.

Start in Richmond Park and pedal down past Hampton Court — it should take you about two hours. After a 1. Your last stop is Box Hill and Westhumble station, where you can load your bikes on to a train back to Waterloo.

Get there by bike obviously. Plan the route carefully before you set out, and take a map and a puncture repair kit, plus water and snacks. Get there one hour by train from London St Pancras International to Folkstone, with a one hour 30 minute bus ride to Dungeness; around two hours by car.

Get there One hour 30 minutes by train from London Bridge; around two hours by car. The big draw is The Company Shed, which serves seafood platters that pull in crowds from all over the country every weekend.

Speaking of which, catch-and-release crabbing is encouraged — there are specially marked areas near the water, and shops selling the kit. Or you can book a boat trip around the bay. Get there one hour by train from London Liverpool Street to Colchester, then a 45 minute bus to Mersea Island; around two hours by car. Kick off a day there at Blueprint Coffee and Books with a pot of something strong and ethically sourced and maybe a mini orange-and-rosemary bundt cake.

And for lunch? Oysters, natch — watch them being shucked in front of you at The Forge. Cornwall Myth, misty clifftops and vitamin D-soaked surfing beaches. Scottish Highlands Rainbow-laced lochs, deserted beaches and castles. Lake District Stunning views, challenging hikes and huge bodies of water. Villages and towns we love Whitstable A traditional fishing town tailor-made for day trips. Rye Rye is as postcard-perfect as towns come.

Whitby Whitby is not your average seaside spot. Bruton This tiny market town is an unexpectedly cool spot. Get us in your inbox Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from your city and beyond. We already have this email. Try another?