Events - Ten best places to chill out in England

Cool off in comfort this summer by visiting some of the coolest places in England ranging from ice houses to cool pools and underground retreats - guaranteed to make the scorching heat a little more bearable.

Durham's High Force, low temperature!

Cool down with the spray from Co Durham’s High Force Waterfall - reputedly the highest unbroken fall of water in England. A scenic woodland walk leads you down towards High Force, which roars down a 21-metre drop into the plunge pool below.  Visitors can take in the waterfall from up close, look down from above or take in the stunning view of the surrounding valley from the top of the waterfall. 

High Force Waterfall  

Cold as ice

Chill out in a life size fridge in the restored icehouse at Moseley Hall in the private park, two miles from Birmingham. The 18th century fridge can hold up to 11 tonnes of ice and acted as the hall’s outdoor fridge where fresh food was kept that could be eaten out of season. Rarely open to the public, the icehouse opens its doors for hot and bothered visitors on Sunday 23 July from 2.30pm – 5pm and entry is free. Booking is essential.

Lounge at one of London's lovely lidos

Take the plunge in one of London’s fabulous outdoor pools and lidos – a great way to cool off in the shimmering summer sun. Tooting Bec Lido in South London, celebrates its centenary this year and is the oldest purpose-built open-air pool in the city.  It played a starring role in Guy Ritchie’s movie, Snatch, and is also one of the largest outdoor pools in Europe.

Shivering in Somerset

If it’s too hot outside, then go deep underground to experience the chill and excitement of caving deep inside the Cheddar Caves in Somerset.  The "all in one" caves & Gorge Explorer Ticket includes admission to Gough's Cave, Cheddar Man & the Cannibals, Jacob's Ladder, the Clifftop Gorge Walk and the Open-top Bus Gorge Tour. Explore the system of ‘wild’ caves beyond the well-lit show caverns at a cool 11 degrees centigrade. The cost is £11.50 for adults and £8.50 for children. Booking is essential.

Visit the website of Cheddar Caves

Gorge'ous Yorkshire

Nicknamed ‘Little Switzerland’, How Stean Gorge near Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, offers cool walks cut through the 80ft steep-sided ravine. The ravine is home to rushing waterfalls and calm havens hidden under the lush green canopy of trees. To really feel the chill, visitors can take a torch and head down into Tom Taylor’s Cave complete with dripping stalactites and the How Stean Beck waterfall. 

Enjoy the Yorkshire Dales 

Coasteering in Cornwall

Coasteering is a thrilling mix of swimming, climbing, scrambling and cliff jumping, which is perfect for exploring the varied coastline in this scenic corner of Cornwall. The Adventure Centre at Newquay’s Lusty Glaze Beach, offers full and half day coasteering sessions from £40 per person. Instructors lead you as you coasteer around the rugged coastal terrain, taking you to some rarely visited nooks and crannies. 

Visit the website of The Adventure Centre  

We all scream for ice-cream in Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh is a quintessentially English seaside resort that has retained its charm and character. First stop on your visit to Aldeburgh should be Ives Ice Cream Parlour on the high street; pick from 30 flavours of real ice cream and sorbets with special sugar cones, waffle and chocolate dipped cones.  Then take a walk along the beach to Thorpeness to see the 'Scallop' sculpture for a unique seaside experience.

Suffolk Coast 

Swim with seals in Thanet

Discover Kent's best kept wildlife secret with a seal spotting trip from Minnis Bay. Take a cruise under sail to an offshore sandbank and see a local seal herd in their natural environment.  If conditions are good, swim with your new friends in the shallow water. A three-hour trip costs from £18 per person.

Wildlife sailing 

XSCAPE to Milton Keynes

When the temperature’s rising outside, head to the indoor activity world of Xscape at Milton Keynes with its own snow!  Xscape boasts two 175-metre slopes and a 135-metre nursery slope of real snow. Or try out tobogganing or the 16 snow guns, which fire cooled water into air that is chilled at –2 degrees to make 1,500 tonnes of perfect snow.

Xscape

Aquaseiling in Cumbria

Those in search of a serious rush to the head should try aquaseiling - abseiling down a fast-flowing waterfall. Aquaseiling is a sheer adrenalin activity in awesome surroundings and can form part of a longer scrambling journey. Groups of between four and 16 descend a choice of waterfalls in Coniston with Summitreks. It’s for adults only and a wet suit is provided. Prices vary according to group size but start at around £364 for groups of four to eight. Booking is essential. 

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