It’s the last instalment from our active days out from the capital series. Guest blogger Richard Garland from Ellis Brigham, their outdoor adventure gear specialist, suggests canoeing on the Thames in beautiful Marlow, and some mystical walking amongst ancient stones at Avebury.

9. Canoeing from Marlow to Windsor

If you are fed up with seeing shopping trolleys and dead bikes in the the murky waters of the River Thames as it flows through London then this 13 mile trip along the rural waterways of the Thames will show you another side to England’s longest river. Hire a canoe at Marlow and spend a day paddling along one of the most picturesque stretches of The River Thames, all the way down to Windsor where you can catch a train back to London with a bucolic grin on your face.

10. Walking amongst the mystical stones of Avebury, Wiltshire

If you really want to feel a million miles away from London but only have a day then you can’t go wrong with a trip out to Avebury, Europe’s biggest stone circle. It’s an involved journey on public transport, with a train journey to Swindon and then a bus ride on the number 49 from Swindon to Avebury, but it’s well worth it. Equally as mystical and awe-inspiring as Stonehenge but less touristy and less busy, you can walk unhindered among the stones and surrounding barrows. The Avebury monument was a part of a larger prehistoric landscape containing several older monuments nearby, including West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill. A circular walk of around 7 miles (11km) starts at the National Trust car park and takes you through all the ancient sites. This walk is magical at any time of year but visit when the Autumn mists battle with the summer sun and you’ll feel like you are in another time and place altogether.

(pics c/o www.flickr.com/twicezero and www.flickr.com/fftang)

Related posts:

Related posts:

1. Active days out from London – part two
2. There’s more to the Broads than boats…
3. Could you walk to work this May?