When the temperature rises, there are plenty of places to enjoy the cool
It’s lovely to see the sunshine out but if you’re in need of a little relief from it, seek out the shade, the cool and the dark. Cold places that you might wrap up in during winter (or simply avoid), in summer become welcome retreats to relish. Here are a few places to enjoy the cool on hot days.
Churches
If the heat gives you the urge to throw yourself down on the nearest cold stone floor, get thee to the nearest church where being prostate is less likely to be frowned upon. Churches and cathedrals with cloisters, crypts and catacombs will win you extra cool points. But, not only do they provide a refreshingly cool environment, churches can be a quiet and soothing place to sit and think, as well as an opportunity to appreciate some of the most beautiful art and architecture on public display.
Caves
In the hot weather, it’s easy to understand why Bilbo Baggins was so reluctant to leave his hobbit hole. There’s a cave for every kind of troglodyte, whether you prefer your cavities natural or manmade, inland or on the seashore. Their temperatures of around 8 to 10C provide the necessity – nay giddy pleasure – of being able to pull on a pullover. Seek them out in the gardens of stately homes - a much cooler place to lounge than a chaise longue.
High places
If you want to catch a breeze, head to the top of a hill or – even better – the top of a tall tower on a tall hill. It doesn’t need to mean a hike up a mountain though - just an area that is slightly higher than average. According to the Met Office, temperatures fall by around 5 to 10C for every 1000 metres you go up, making somewhere like the Cotswolds, for example, significantly cooler than the nearby Severn Valley.
Someone else’s air con
Precious objects and manuscripts require carefully controlled temperatures, so galleries and museums also make for cultured and cool visitors. A well-timed trip to the cinema allows you the ultimate indulgence of a couple of hours in a properly cool room. You could even order an indecently icy slush drink and experience the thrill of added brain freeze. For the ultimate quick fix, take a trip to the supermarket. Skip straight to the chilled food aisle and devote some serious time to debating the merits of petit pois versus garden peas. The M&S picnic section is also a great place for the overheated to linger – although you’re likely to leave weighed down with fancy stuffed olives and the like, considerably lighter of purse.
Woods and forests
For sun that twinkles, rather than blazes, seek out the sanctuary of a secluded forest. Wooded areas create their own microclimates that make them particularly enticing in hotter weather. The natural filter of the leaves and branches make them seem cooler. They’re also less windy, as the trees act as a natural windbreak, making for ideal picnic conditions: just take a look at Manet’s 1860s painting Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe for inspiration (stripping off optional).
These ideas for cool places to spend hot days in were originally published in issue 38 of The Simple Things. For more ideas on places to stay cool this summer, don’t miss our feature on rivers, waterways and lakes in our current July issue, in shops now, or available from our online store.
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