Let’s All Go To The Beach - In London!
It’s summer and London has experienced some extreme heat this year, but when temperatures soar, all we want to do is pack a bikini and go to the beach!
Leaving London is not, however, always an option, so we’ve come up with a list of the best urban beaches in town.
Underbelly Festival FREE Open-Air Cinema & City Beach at Earls Court
The Earls Court Development Company has partnered with Underbelly to bring a new community offering to the area this summer. The Purple Cow has left for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the site has been transformed into a free public beach, an open-air cinema alongside street food traders, pop-up bars and games for all ages.
Guest will be able to soak up the sun reclining on colourful deckchairs, while sipping on an ice-cold beer from Mardi bar, or Tarquin Cornish Gin’s must-try drink of the summer – rhubarb and raspberry gin & ginger featuring Lixir ginger ale, fresh mint and fresh juicy raspberries.
On the food front, visitors can tuck into artisanal pizzas from DaNapoli, famed for their simple yet delicious tomato based Marinara. For a taste of the sea, Sea Wise will continue to serve up their fried squid and other fruits of the sea, and for delicious steak sandwiches and burgers, revellers should head to Herd.
Films in the summer programme include Paddington 2, Sing 2, Encanto, Blade Runner, The Goonies, Spiderman: No Way Home, The Witches, Mary Poppins Returns, Dirty Dancing, JAWS and many more, for all ages and all tastes.
Screenings will run at 4pm and 7.30pm every day until early September with additional screenings at 12.30pm at weekends. Customers can watch all films for free with plenty of seating and table service in front of the giant cinema screen.
Full film listings and schedule can be found at:
Location: Empress Place, London, SW6 1TT (Three mins walk from West Brompton tube, six mins walk from Earl’s Court tube station (Warwick Road exit)
Make a Splash at Elephant Park
Head to Elephant Park for food that transports you all around the world and free flowing water that will cool you down and provide untold amounts of fun for the little ones.
Picnic At The Park is an initiative that is running until Sunday 31st August. You simply pick up a Picnic Passport at one of the participating food vendors which you can get stamped when you purchase takeaway food or beverages. Once you get 7 stamps, you will receive an Elephant Park water bottle which you can collect from Solo Craft Fair at Elephant Stores and fill up at our water stations dotted around the park.
While you enjoy your food, the children can splash about at Elephant Springs; a world of play and discovery which provides the perfect backdrop for your picnic.
There are super fun, hand operated ‘village’ pumps and jets that children can chase and others that dance around you or surprise and soak you as you walk by, as well as cascades of water rushing down rock channels and babbling streams. Some of the channels can even be dammed or blocked to divert the water.
The surrounding sand pits provide a surface that can be shaped with hands or buckets and spades, or you can simply sit around the edge and relax, surrounded by mature trees and lush planting that will make you feel at one with nature.
Find out more about Elephant Springs.
Location: Elephant Rd, London SE17 1UB, United Kingdom
The Beach At Brent Cross
We’ve discovered another urban beach, and this one is in Brent Cross!
The Beach Brent Cross is actually one of the UK's largest urban beaches and offers plenty of fun family activities including exciting fairground rides and games, places to eat, a huge beach along with paddling pools and splash areas plus regular events to keep the kids entertained.
On Tuesday 9th August your little ones can be dazzled by Miraikers Magic Shows which will show at intervals throughout the afternoon, on Saturday 13th August there is an afternoon packed with fun Magic Shows & Balloon Modelling and on Saturday 20th August, you can watch the infamous Punch & Judy plus other puppets.
In addition to the sandy beach and splash pools you will also find 25 different Urban Beach rides for people of all ages, from toddlers right through to adults. The rides range from roller coasters to gentler rides that all the family can enjoy.
There’s a great selection of food and drink stalls and super friendly staf on hand to help make your day at The Beach Brent Cross as enjoyable as possible. The Beach is a family friendly attraction and is extremely popular so we recommend that you book online in advance to guarantee entry and get the best price. Located next to the Brent Cross Shopping Centre, this is one of the best things to do in London over the summer months.
Location: Brent Cross Shopping Centre, London, NW4 3FP
Royal Docks
Take a trip to Royal Docks for some family fun this summer at Kids Summer Splash. Here you can find delightful dock swimming, super sandpits and deckchair chilling.
There’s a lido which also includes a shallow end for younger children to make a splash and have a paddle and we suggest that you bring a bucket and spade so the little ones can can get creative in one of the sandpits, while you catch some rays on a deckchair in one of the family chill-out zones.
There’s also a great local cafe called Peaky Blenders where you can grab a refreshing drink or a bite to eat and a schedule of fun, family activities including beach yoga and hip hop dance. The beach is open 1 – 21 August, 10am – 6pm daily
Location: Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1AG
Ruislip Lido Beach
Visit Ruislip Lido, a huge 60-acre lake with sandy beaches making it the perfect day trip for all the family. Set on the edge of Ruislip Woods with a narrow gauge railway around it, you can take a stroll through the woodland, play in the sand, build sand-castles, splash about, and have fun!
You cannot swim in the lake here, however, there is a paddling area for kids while the adults can relax on London’s most convincing man-made sandy shore.
The walk around the lake is a dog walker's paradise, especially if you follow the trail through Ruislip woods. Not in the mood for a walk? Why not experience Britain’s longest 12" gauge miniature railway which travels around the lido through the woods. The sights are wonderful and a great place to walk, sit and relax.
Ruislip Lido is a beautiful hidden gem which we’d highly recommend for an adventure children will remember!
Fulham Beach
Opening in 2017, Fulham beach brings that sandy toes feeling to London (even if the sand is imported)! You can expect day-beds, cabanas and beach huts or drop in for beer pong, mini golf, shuffleboard or even a yoga sesh. WIth wood-fired pizzas and DJ sets to liven the mood, experience the magic of the Beach Club without leaving town.
The sandy summer hotspot that’s set up at Fulham’s Neverland, has a full range of bookable spaces in one of three areas: the beach, the pergola, or the veranda. Each of these areas has different tiers, with the first of the pergola’s being completely free, and the beach offering up some bougie seating arrangements.
Fulham beach will also ensure you’re well fed and watered, giving you a spread that is likely to end up on your instagram story. Scanning their menu we’ve got our eyes on the Smoke Stack burger, washed down with a Strangers in Paradise Tiki Cocktail, but you’ll also find everything from half lobsters to jackfruit tacos and from mojitos to flutes of champagne.
London Secret Beach
Step into the one-acre London Secret Garden which swaps its Christmas igloos for sun loungers in the summer. Once you have found the secret, dip your toes into the sand and enjoy a lip smacking cocktails on your choice of cosy cabanas providing exclusive comfort and style. Ken's Bar serves barbecued food and drink, and they’ve promised it will be ‘just like a day at the beach’.
The Beach Bar at The Montague
The award-winning Beach Bar at The Montague makes for an unforgettable summer party. Make sure you prepare for day parties and cocktail-making classes set in an attractive Georgian townhouse. Complete with real sand, a beach-hut style thatched roof, delicious cocktails, palm trees, and a backdrop of a beautiful beach, you'll feel like you're basking in the Bahamas rather than in the heart of central London.
Their chef serves a delicious range of BBQ options including meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes followed by a tasty line-up of tempting desserts and assorted ice creams in cones. Cocktails are served in coconuts on arrival, alongside a superb selection of wine, beers, and spirits with guests having the added option of unlimited drinks.
Limin’ Beach
Where Ibiza cool meets Caribbean heat, you can sink your toes into the soft sandy shores looking out onto Gabriels Wharf - the perfect spot for people watching. The name of this South Bank hangout means ‘relaxing in good company’ in Trinbagonian, and that’s exactly the vibe it plans to bring to London this year with food, drink, music and lots of laughter.
The Rum Bar completes the Caribbean getaway where you can find Limin’s renowned Liquid Chefs shaking up a rum punch storm.
And when it comes to food, think Trinidadian street treats like barbecue sweetcorn, masala chips and aloo pies as well as Caribbean classics like roti wraps and baked sea bass - an eruption of flavour and fiesta.
Swing by, sit back, feel the sand under your feet, and let their food, rum cocktails, and island vibes transport you directly to the islands.
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