W

hile the Olympic riders trotted around a temporary course in Greenwich Park (lucky them; it’s well worth a visit), how about saddling up for a ride along London’s famous Rotten Row in Hyde Park?

Dating back to 1690, it was Britain’s first artificially lit highway, don’t you know.

At Hyde Park Stables there are riding sessions to suit all abilities, and five bridleways criss-crossing the park – taking in many of its famous landmarks.Trot past the Serpentine lake (keep an eye out for the brave swimmers), throw your tuppence worth in to the debate at Speakers’ Corne.

Don’t miss the rather stunning Albert Memorial, with its razor sharp Gothic Revival spire – commissioned by Queen Victoria to commemorate her husband Albert’s life after he died of typhoid.

On the other hand, if you do want to check out Greenwich Park, the good news is you don’t need a horse. This is London’s oldest Royal Park, dating way back to 1433, and is home to the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Mean Time, plus the Old Royal Naval College and National Maritime Museum.

No wonder it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Now, off you trot…