Is it us or is it getting rather hot in here?
The nation is preparing for further days of high temperatures, and while some are basking in its Factor 50 glory, others are recalling the wet and windy times of old with tear-jerking fondness.
If you’re fed up breaking a sweat while doing pretty much nothing at all, these are the un-hot hotspots in London where you can go to keep your cool.
Ice karting at Queens
Can’t bear another hot summer car journey? At Queens ice rink, you don’t need to worry about rolling down the windows – where we’re going we don’t need windows. Combine your need for speed with subzero vibes with a few rounds of ice go-karting at this west London venue.
17 Queensway, W2 4QP, queens.london
Icebar
If you like your drinks cool, but your bar even cooler, head to this Mayfair bar, which is kept at a distinctly nippy -5 degrees. It’s not because the owners are stingy on the heating bill, but for the purpose of keeping their array of spectacular ice sculptures from turning into puddles.
31-33 Heddon Street, W1B 4BN, icebarlondon.com
Vertical Chill climbing wall
You might be craving a workout session, but we bet you're dreading working up a sweat. Head to Vertical Chill, an indoor ice climbing wall inside the Covent Garden location of outdoorsy outfitters Ellis Brigham. The team provide you with climbing equipment, as well as some warm clothing: inside the 8 metre chamber, temperatures can get as low as -12 degrees.
Tower House, 10-12 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HA, vertical-chill.com
Snow Room at K West Spa
Saunas are wonderful things, but probably pretty far from your mind this time of year. K West Spa is offering visitors the opportunity to dash from its warmer treatment rooms into a “Snow Paradise” room, filled with snow and ice and kept at a seriously frosty -15 degrees.
Richmond Way, W14 0AX, k-west.co.uk
Chislehurst Caves
There’s a whole lot of air conditioning around in the capital working overtime, so why not go au naturale? Get down (and we mean down) to the Chislehurst Caves near Bromley, where the underground chambers stay at a brisk and refreshing 10 degrees all year round.
Caveside Close, BR7 5NL, chislehurst-caves.co.uk
