Thames Young Mariners is surrounded by Ham Lands, which is a Local Nature Reserve of approximately 200 acres.

Ham Lands is home to an array of wildlife across its various areas of woodland, scrub, grassland, and wetland, and also features one of Britain’s most well-preserved heaths.

[2] However, industrial and economic shifts over time saw agriculture in the area die out between the 1900s and 1950s in favour of housing and gravel extraction.

[4] Activities available at Thames Young Mariners include adventure/night walks, archery, bell boating, open canoeing, challenge courses, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, orienteering, raft building, sailing, team tasks and woodland skills.

[5] Other facilities offered at the site includes hireable conference rooms, camping grounds, and a new Teepee village named ‘Buffalo Creek’, which allows visitors to build and maintain campfires.