London

Boat trips
BEST VALUE
Battersea Park boating lake
For the rest of August, kids and adults can hire either pedalos or rowing boats here by the hour or half-hour. It’s one of the cheapest places to go boating in London, and boasts plenty of space. Hire charges are just £3.50 for half an hour, rising to £4.50 for an hour.
Battersea Park, SW11 (020 8871 7530) Battersea Park rail. Open Sat, Sun, bank hol Mon 12noon-7pm.

City Cruises
There is no official guided commentary on these regular cruises up and down the Thames, but you do get lots of river history-based anecdotes and interesting tales (not all strictly adhering to the truth). A return from the Tower Pier (Tower of London) to Westminster/ Waterloo pier (or vice versa) costs £7.40. Extending the journey to Greenwich to take in the Observatory's fantastic new Planetarium raises the price to £9.40 for a return.
City Cruises (020 7740 0400/www.citycruises.com) Boats depart every 20-40 mins depending on pier and time of day.

Lee Valley Boat Centre
This is your destination if you want a comprehensive choice of vessels to hire. There are pedalos, electric boats (with steering wheel) and traditional rowing boats available to hire on an hourly basis. For the even more active, camping canoes are available to hire for the day: they take two to three people and cost from £35 per day plus a £50 cash deposit. For a lazy day out on the capital’s waterways, you can also hire two narrow boats, complete with tiller, loo, fridge, hot and cold running water and utensils. Brace yourself for some ‘Wind in the Willows’ nostalgia: Mr Badger is 32 feet long and takes a maximum of 12 people; Mr Toad is a slightly shorter 27 feet and has a capacity for up to eight people. Available to hire on weekends and bank holidays, they cost £175 and £125 respectively.
Lee Valley Boat Centre, Old Nazeing Rd, Broxbourne, Herts EN10 6LX (01992 462085/www.leevalleyboats.co.uk) Train to Broxbourne from Liverpool St tube/rail.

MOST THRILLING
London RIB Voyages
This is possibly the most fun you can have on the Thames. Sturdy orange boats (RIB stands for rigid inflatable boat) have you zipping along at speeds that a police launch would be proud to achieve while in pursuit. The main tour goes from the jetty at the London Eye up to Canary Wharf and back over 50 minutes (£26 per adult). The longer trip also takes in the sights of the Thames Barrier and lasts 90 minutes (£39 per adult). For those who want to learn as well as hang on for dear life, there is an interesting guided tour when they’re not going fast. Don’t worry if it’s raining: there are waterproof suits and goggles to wear – and it’s even more thrilling when the rain is pelting down.
London RIB Voyages (020 7928 2350/www.londonribvoyages.com).

MOST EERIE
Regent’s Canal tunnel trips
These trips are best suited to the brave. Regent’s Canal’s tunnel – built in 1820 – is long, dark, dank and three quarters of a mile long. Once upon a time, boats normally pulled by horses on the towpath had to be inched through the tunnel by a process of ‘legging’ – with the men on board having to brace their legs against the tunnel walls to power the boat along. Admission is £6.50 for adults and includes a museum visit. This season’s last four guided trips take place on September 16, so book a place soon. Looking ahead, there are also suitably creepy trips into the tunnel for Halloween. The museum offers more information on London’s canal history.
Canal Museum,12-13 New Wharf Rd, N1 (020 7713 0836/www.canalmuseum.org.uk) King’s Cross tube/rail.

Regent’s Park boating lake
You can hire a rowing boat on the lake here for those long, lazy summer afternoons (adults £4.85 for 30 minutes or £6.50 for an hour). Kids love the pedal boats (which are just for little ones), but grown-ups might attempt a spot of romancing – this is the lake in which Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson frolicked in classic British romance ‘Brief Encounter’.
Regent’s Park, Hanover Gate, NW1 (020 7724 4069/www.royalparks.gov.uk) Baker St tube. Open daily 10.30am-dusk or 8pm (whichever is earlier).

Thames Clippers
If you prefer your commute to be on the water rather than below the earth, the Riverline is the route to take. There are various routes for tourists, including the O2 Express, which takes you to what was the Millennium Dome from the West End in just 28 minutes. For those who have to get to the office, there is a scenic but speedy route that fits the bill: 31 boats go to Canary Wharf from central London (and back) every day and the journey time is just 23 minutes. A sensible option, if you’re going to be hopping on and off, is the day roamer ticket. The adult ticket is £8, but if you already have a travelcard, that’s reduced to £5.20.
Thames Clippers (0870 781 5049/www.thamesclippers.com).

Saturday rowing in Kingston

Activities
Albany Park Canoe & Sailing Centre
With sailing, kayaking, canoeing, powerboating and raft-building, this centre is a watersport addict’s paradise – but beginners are welcome too. Try canoeing or kayaking with a coach at one of the Saturday courses (from £27). Novices can try the sailing tasters on September 8 and test out a Wayfarer dinghy for £49.
Albany Park Canoe & Sailing Centre, Albany Mews, Albany Park Rd, Kingston (020 8549 3066/www.albanypark.co.uk) Kingston rail. Sat courses 9.30am-12.30pm, 1.30-4.30pm. Open daily 9am-9.30pm (times vary, phone to check).

MOST SCENIC
British Transport Yacht Club (BTYC) Sailsports
The Welsh Harp is a large reservoir set in pretty open parkland a stone’s throw from Brent Cross. The club welcomes people with different levels of competence: courses range from the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Level 1 for beginners to more advanced seamanship or instructor training. The BTYC is a family-orientated club that promotes safe sailing and windsurfing. Trial sessions on Thursday evenings cost only £10 (refundable if you join). For members, it also offers various courses from £25 and free use of the facilities at any time for plain sailing practice. It’s sociable, with regular races, away days and events including a barbecue on September 13.
BTYC Sailsports, Birchen Grove, NW9 (020 8830 5726/www.btycsailsports.org.uk) Wembley Park tube. Open for training sessions Thur from 6pm.

Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre
A variety of personalised courses are offered here including powerboating, yachting, dinghy sailing, canoeing and rowing. A RYA Level 1 weekend sailing course costs from £150. Beginners can also try out dragon-boating (with 18 people rowing, a helmsman and a drummer giving the beat); it’s a fun activity to do with a group of friends and costs from £5 a session. Twilight sailing is another highlight (and a potentially romantic option for couples) involving social races on boats with drinks and a barbecue afterwards every Wednesday from 6pm (tickets £20).
Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre, 235a Westferry Rd, Millwall Dock, Isle of Dogs, E14 (020 7537 2626/www.dswc.org) Mudchute DLR. Open daily 9am-5pm. Dragon-boating Mon 6pm-dusk, twilight sailing Wed 6pm-dusk, weekend courses Sat, Sun 9.30am-5pm.

BEST FOR SAILING FANATICS
London Corinthian Sailing Club
This sociable club in Hammersmith caters for those with a passion for sailing, with competitions, cruises and dinghy-racing on the Thames, and yachting further afield. There are also several courses, from ‘Crew Competency’ to ‘Yachtmaster’, with a week’s competent crew and day skipper practical course costing £375. With full membership (£155), you can sail freely in the evenings or take part in booze cruising on Sundays, stopping at riverside pubs like the Ship in Barnes. New members are always welcomed at the Tuesday night socials in the club bar from 8pm.
London Corinthian Sailing Club, Linden House, Upper Mall, W6 (020 8748 3280/www.lcsc.org.uk) Turnham Green tube. Open Tue, Wed, Thur from 6.30pm, Sat 9am-dusk (times vary, phone to check).

Stoke Newington West Reservoir Centre
This well-hidden north London reservoir offers sailing, canoeing, races and dragon-boating (see Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre, above). Located between the hubbub of Hackney and more tranquil streets of gentrified Stoke Newington, the area is surprisingly peaceful, attracting a wide range of souls from builders to businesspeople. It’s also well equipped for children and there’s a youth club offering plenty of watery activities. Two-day sailing courses are available over several weekends in September and cost £130. The Castle Canoe Club is also based here and provides free taster sessions – if you then want to join, membership costs just £40.
Stoke Newington West Reservoir Centre, Green Lanes, N4 (020 8442 8116/www.gll.org) Manor House or Finsbury Park tube. Open daily 9am-5pm (closed bank hol Mon). Canoeing Tue 6-8pm, Sun 10am-1pm.

BEST FOR ROWING
Putney Town Rowing Club
Originally started as a club for tradesmen after WWI, the Putney Town Rowing Club isn’t a bit snooty, attracting a wide range of rowing enthusiasts from all backgrounds. These days there are more than 200 members from beginners to veterans. With more than 40 racing boats available, you can either row upstream from picturesque Kew to the calmer waters of Richmond or downstream to Hammersmith and Putney. All levels can train evenings, weekdays or weekends; see the website or contact the club for more details.
Putney Town Rowing Club, Kew Meadows Path, TW9 (020 8878 8236/www.putneytownrc.co.uk) Kew Gardens tube. Open daily from 8am. Membership £20 per month plus £20 joining fee.

BEST FOR GROUPS
Royal Victoria Docks Watersport Centre
If extreme watersports appeal, try a one-off session of kneeboarding, wakeboarding or waterskiing; they all cost just £10 from 6pm weeknights and throughout Sundays. There are also many sailing and kayaking one- or two-day courses priced from £106, or fun outings for everyone with excellent offers for Newham residents and children. The centre makes a good option for those looking for a memorable birthday or original hen/stag do. Parties can book three hours of two activities (choosing from bell-boating, raft-building or canoeing) costing £20 per person.
Royal Victoria Docks Watersport Centre, Albert Docks, Tidal Basin Rd, E16 (020 7511 2326) Canning Town tube. Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm (kids), 6-8pm (adults), Sun from 9.15am.

BEST FOR GROUPS
Shadwell Basin
This predominantly youth-centred organisation offers courses in kayaking, sailing, canoeing and powerboating. There are plenty of two- or three-day adult sailing courses (at all levels) costing from £140. Groups of friends or company colleagues can have a go at dragon-boating (see Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre, above) and the more highly skilled can use Wayfarers, Bosuns and Toppers by joining either the canoe or sailing clubs via their website links.
Shadwell Basin, 3-4 Pierhead, Glamis Rd, E1 (020 7481 4210/www.shadwell-basin.org.uk) Shadwell tube. Open Mon-Thur 9am-9pm, Fri 9am-5pm, Sat, Sun 10am-5pm.

Westminster Boating Base
This charity-run organisation is tucked away in a green, leafy, little park by the river. Aimed at the more serious sailor, it teaches the government-recognised qualifications for kayaking, canoeing and sailing. With a six-month season ticket (£90), each session costs £10; under-24s can obtain a youth membership with a low-cost donation. For a RYA Level 1 and 2 course, adult beginners and improvers can do sailing that costs £200 over two weekends, or kayaking on Mondays 5.45-9pm.
Westminster Boating Base, 136 Grosvenor Rd, SW1 (020 7821 7389/www.westminsterboatingbase.co.uk) Pimlico tube. Open Mon-Fri 11am-8pm.

Outdoor swimming
BEST FOR CHILDREN
Serpentine Lido
London’s oldest and most picturesque lido is open until September 11. You can swim surrounded by trees in London’s longest stretch of pure lake water (110 yards of it). It’s very family-friendly, with a paddling pool and cheap admission (£1) for children. If you want to swim in the entire lake (away from the cordoned-off lido) during the rest of the year– including Christmas Day – you must join Serpentine Swimming Club (established in 1865) for £20 a year. Or you could hire a rowing boat and avoid getting wet altogether.
Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park, W2 (020 7706 3422) Lancaster Gate tube. Open daily 10am-6pm. Adm adults £4, concs £3, children £1.

Charlton Lido
This art deco pool in charming Hornfair Park has had its fair share of problems in the past. It’s the only pool in the area and the Charlton Lido Swimming Club works actively to maintain it.
Charlton Lido, Hornfair Park, SE18 (020 8856 7180) Blackheath rail. Open daily until Sept 2 10.30am-6pm (closed in bad weather). Adm £3.25, child £2.05.

London Fields Lido
This heated pool in the park is perfect for swimming outdoors all year round. If you’re a strong swimmer, join the world record attempt at the biggest ever synchronised swim. It’s free to take part, but you do need to commit to training. Otherwise just watch from 12noon on September 22. For info visit www.aquabatix.com/bigsync or call 020 8144 2782.
London Fields Lido, London Fields Westside, E8 (020 7254 9038) London Fields rail. Open Mon-Fri 6.30am-8pm, Sat, Sun 8am-8pm. Adm £3.85.

Park Road Pools
Crouch End’s 1929-built lido has a 50-metre pool with grassy sunbathing areas, a children’s pool and a fountain. It is open until early October and runs four sessions a day, costing £3.50 except for the evening slot (7-8pm) which is £2.75. Aqua fitness classes run on Sundays from 10am.
Park Road Pools, Park Rd, N8 (020 8341 3567/www.haringey.gov.uk/leisure) Finsbury Park tube then W7 bus. Open Mon-Fri 7-9am, 9am-1pm, 2-6pm, 7-8pm, Sat, Sun 9am-1pm, 2-7pm.

Parliament Hill Lido
This refurbished pool has retained its stylish 1930s fittings. At a spacious 60m x 28m, it’s a good site for athletes; triathlon and water polo teams train here.
Parliament Hill Lido, Parliament Hill Fields, Gordon House Rd, NW5 (020 7485 3873) Hampstead Heath rail. Open Mon, Thur, Fri 7am-8.30pm, Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun 7am-6pm. Adm from £2.

Brockwell Lido
Another revamped lido – nicknamed Brixton Beach – with a large pool, this one also has special rooms for yoga, tai chi and meditation. It also wins points for its music groups, educational projects and groups for young mums as well as disabled and autistic children.
Brockwell Lido, Brockwell Park, Dulwich Rd, SE24 (020 7274 3088/www.brockwelllido.com">www.brockwelllido.com) Herne Hill rail. Open Mon-Fri 6.45am-8pm, Sat, Sun 10am-6pm.