With one in three of us staying at home this summer, you don’t need a weatherman to know that it’s likely a deep depression will bring an occluded front of temperamental boredom sweeping slowly across the British Isles until early September.

Sunday Times readers, however, need not despair. We’ve found a full seven weeks’ worth of days out to ensure your summer stays sunny whatever the weather. From theme parks to free theatre, mystery mazes to the secret of renting a beach hut on Britain’s most glamorous strands, we’ve got it covered.

Where two prices are given, the first is for adults, the second for children

1 Camel Riding
Cornwall

Britain's great steam days out

More and more steam trains are going back into service on mainline tracks as demand grows

All aboard for Thomas Land

Jane Knight's video tour of Thomas the Tank Engine's theme park in Staffordshire

London tours - by water

One's a very green space, one not quite so - we see the sunrise by kayak and try a high-speed boat trip

A bird's eye view of Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens opens a walkway in the sky up in the treetops - by the designers of the London Eye

• Duke of Edinburgh can enjoy rare moment in the sun at Kew

• Devon's green credentials

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Whether you head upstream to the vineyards — where Rick Stein buys his wine — or downstream to the sea, Cornwall’s Camel Trail is probably Britain’s most attractive cycle route, following 17 miles of a disused railway line from Bodmin to Padstow. The best place to start is Wadebridge, halfway between the two, where Bridge Cycle Hire (01208 813050, bridgebikehire.co.uk) offers bike rental from £10/£6 a day.

2 Surf Lessons
Cornwall

Learning the basics of surfing is achievable in one day, given fair winds and a gentle swell, and Chris Rea of Harlyn Surf School (01841 533076, harlynsurfschool.co.uk) says he’ll have you on your feet in no time. Full-day lessons cost £70pp, including wetsuit and board hire — for details of other schools, visit the British Surfing Association’s website, britsurf.co.uk.

3 Beast of Bodmin
Cornwall

Park your car at Siblyback Lake, north of St Cleer, and follow the lakeside path around to the junction with the track, then downhill to Draynes Bridge over the River Fowey. Now follow the river downstream, through a fairy-tale forest and an ever-deepening gorge of mossy rocks, dappled glades and enchanted pools, until you reach the gorgeous Falls of Golitha — lair of the legendary Beast of Bodmin, according to locals. The round trip is seven miles, and the map you need is OS Explorer 109: Bodmin Moor (£7.99, or £5.99 at amazon.co.uk).

4 Coasteering
Devon

There’s a gentler version of this high-octane activity suitable for all ages and abilities, offering exercise and exploration as you paddle, swim and, yes, jump through a rocky coastal labyrinth along the coast near Croyde. The family adventure costs £40/£25 with local experts Breathing Space (0845 388 0037, breathingspace.uk.com).

5 Dinosaur hunting
Dorset

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