Ice cool in the ferocious heat
BEST PLACES TO STAY OUT OF THE SUN
SUN lovers are basking in the heatwave this week.
There are those who relish topping up their tan on a sun lounger at home, lazing about in the park or having a cold pint in a pub beer garden.
But not everyone enjoys the sweltering temperatures – and some of us can’t wait for the heatwave to be over.
We’ll do anything for a brief respite from the unbearable heat... even lingering perhaps a little bit longer than is acceptable in the chiller aisles at the supermarket. It’s amazing how fascinating it is to browse at tubs of margarine if it means keeping cool.
There are more fun ways of beating the heatwave and keeping cool, however. We enlisted the help of Nottinghamshire’s tourism chiefs at Visit Notts to seek out the best notso-hot spots.
NATIONAL ICE CENTRE
One place that’s guaranteed to be cool is the ice rink. You might even need to cover up when you first arrive as it’s so chilly.
Spokeswoman Abi Dutton said: “With the air temperature at 15 degrees and the ice temperature at an average of -3.5C, visitors are loving being able to exercise here and enjoy a skate when it’s too hot to do anything outside.
“I would wear a layer personally and then, if people get warm while skating, they can always remove it.”
There are bookable public skating sessions on Wednesdays. Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays, including the Tots Zone at the weekends. A summer festival skating party takes place on Friday from 7-9pm and the summer schedule, starting on July 29, will include parent and tots skates, disco skating, and daily public skating sessions.
And if you’re still feeling warm, you can grab a Tango Ice Blast or an ice cream from Sub Zero cafe. Even if you don’t want to put skates on, take the kids or the grandkids and watch from the sidelines, enjoying the heavenly chill.
Bolero Square, Belward Street, Nottingham NG1 1LA national-ice-centre.com
ARC CINEMAS
All the auditoriums at Arc Cinemas in Hucknall and Beeston have air conditioning, so what better way to escape the heatwave than recline in a luxurious chairs in a cool, darkened room watching a film.
Manager Mark Gallagher said: “On a hot day the cinema can be the best possible place for those who can’t stand the heat. Escape from the heatwave and escape from reality at the same time.
“The best value for money, if you’re looking to sit inside as long as possible, is the Elvis movie which clocks in at three hours including ads and trailers... and it’s fantastic!”
All tickets will be £5 today. Station Road, Beeston NG9 2WJ/ High Street, Hucknall NG15 7HJ arccinema.co.uk
CITY OF CAVES
One way to get away from the extreme heat is to head underground. No matter how hot it is outside, caves have a constant temperature that’s much cooler.
Enjoy 45 minutes of bliss during an audio tour of the winding passageways of Nottingham’s largest network of sandstone caves. Soak up the extraordinary atmosphere deep beneath Nottingham city centre, including Second World War air raid shelters and a medieval tannery. Garner’s Hill, Nottingham NG1 1HF nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/ cityofcaves/visit
RUFFORD ABBEY
If you want to be out and about in the fresh air, take a gentle stroll around the grounds at Rufford Abbey. The Wilderness Woodland is a forested area which is primarily shady. The centuries-old woods are a wildlife sanctuary and the home of foxes, squirrels and a wide range of woodland birds.
You can also catch sight of the famous ice houses while exploring the woodland, created in the 1820s to help the inhabitants of Rufford Abbey preserve food. And if you have the energy there’s a shaded walk around the big lake.
Rufford Abbey Country Park, Ollerton NG22 9DF parkwoodoutdoors.co.uk/centre/ rufford-abbey
PADDLEBOARDING
Being around water is cooling so why not give paddleboarding a go? Some people have taken to the Trent but the National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont is a safe environment with fully trained staff if you’re a novice.
Paddleboards can be hired out for 30 minutes on the lagoon. If you’re not confident enough to go it alone, grab a bunch of friends and give it a go on one of the XL boards for up to eight people.
Adbolton Lane, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham NG12 2LU nwscnotts.com
CAVE ESCAPE
With caves making a great bolthole for heat haters, give your brain a workout at an escape room deep underground. It will be pleasantly cool and tempers are the only thing that could get heated in frustration at not being able to solve the puzzles as you work against the clock.
Cave Escape has two different rooms, Carfax and Monuments, both set within Nottingham’s sprawling cave network. The temperature in caves tends to stay the same all year round, because they’re underground and not affected by surface weather patterns.
The temperature of a cave is usually close to the average annual temperature for the region where it’s located – In Nottingham’s case that’s just over 13C. Rejoice.
63 Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG1 3FN caveescape.co.uk
NEWSTEAD ABBEY
Not only does the ancestral home of Lord Byron hold romance and mystery, it also has glorious woodlands and shaded walks. Meander past lakes, ponds and waterfalls.
Explore the walled garden’s lush ferns and rockeries and the sunken Japanese Oasis, boasting streams and stepping stones, bamboo groves and wild crayfish. A cascade, where the Garden Lake meets the River Leen, has a viewing platform where visitors can get a view of the abbey from behind the curtain of water.
LOST CAVES
Ditch hot, stuffy bars for a refreshing drink in a curious and wonderful space. Hidden 26ft below Nottingham’s oldest hotel, The Mercure, this cave bar offers not just a unique experience but a pleasingly cool one.
It’s a test to find via its sister bar, also hidden, Lost Property. But once you reach the depths, it is as dark and atmospheric as you’d imagine, with colour-changing lighting, candles, stuffed pheasants and other curios. Take a pew on cushioncovered sandstone rock ledges for cocktails, gin and rum.
Via Lost Property, Carlton Street, Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1NL lostpropertynottingham.co.uk/ thelostcaves