Autumn's here and with it comes a stiff breeze or two — so perfect kite-flying weather then.
We were going to bring you a list of the best places in London to fly a kite*, but that just seemed too obvious. Instead, we looked at the places in London where you can't fly a kite. Just in case you ever fancy busting out the strings at Oxford Circus or in the middle of the A13.
The basic rules for flying a kite, anywhere, are as follows:
- Don't fly your kite more than 60 metres off the ground.
- If you're close to an aerodrome, airport or flight path, don't fly your kite more than 30 metres off the ground.
- Don't fly your kite in stormy weather.
- Don't fly your kite near power lines or roads.
So, apart from that and provided you're not in the vicinity of Heathrow, City Airport or any other airports, or any roads, you should be OK. But there's more.
According to the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, it is illegal to fly a kite in "any street, to the obstruction, annoyance, or danger of the residents or passengers." In other words, don't make a nuisance of yourself with kite in hand, which probably rules out any Oxford Circus dreams you may have been harbouring. Sorry about that. Best stick to London's parks and green spaces for kite-flying purposes.
*If you're at all interested in what that list would have looked like, it's something like this, as suggested by our readers:
- Hampstead Heath (Parliament Hill specifically)
- Blackheath
- Streatham Common
- Primrose Hill
- Crystal Palace Park
- Brockwell Park
- Morden Park
Other suggestions in the comments, please.
See also: our photo gallery of kites in London
