A glance at some of the historic buildings reveals clues to their past uses. Arrowslits on buildings such as the Tower of London and the “smallest police station in London'' in Trafalgar Square reveal the importance of archery in the nation’s capital. Bows and arrows were a serious risk to be considered when they were built, but their role has moved from military to recreational over the centuries. The Toxophilite Society, the first Archery Club in the country, was established here in 1781, and the sport is very much alive today. The 2012 Olympic Games in this category events took place at Lord’s Cricket Ground, there’s a pub in Bayswater called the Archery Tavern, and thousands of Londoners regularly enjoy this sport in their leisure time. Clubs can be found throughout the metropolitan area and so can venues for experiences. Read on to find out how you can become part of the movement.

Where are the best places to do archery in London?

There are members’ clubs in many central and suburban neighbourhoods in the capital, including East Finchley, Harrow, Brent Valley, Southall, Osterley, Hampstead, Uxbridge, Harrow and Ruislip. You can approach these clubs to ask about becoming a regular member if you have experience, or ask about beginners’ courses which many clubs run once or twice a year. Alternatively, take a look at the experiences listed below and choose the one that appeals to you most!

• London Bridge: The glittering spire of the Shard shoots into the sky like an arrow head, the perfect inspiration for this activity in the city center! You’ll find a highly rated centre just a couple of streets away from the skyscraper where you can have a taster session, sign up for a course, or enjoy the latest combat sport of Archery Tag.

• Chiswick: This West district is a fashionable place whose inhabitants enjoy the finer things in life. If you want coaching of the highest standard, this is a good place to come. An added bonus is that it’s also home to Fuller’s Brewery, so you can enjoy a pint of London Pride after the activity.

• Greenwich: If Greenwich is famous for one thing, it’s precision. The Greenwich Meridian runs arrow-straight through the historic observatory. Will you be able to emulate that on a range? You can find out at East city’s hippest centre. Modern design, graffiti and an emphasis on the fitness benefits of this sport make Greenwich’s venue a truly unique space in the capital.

• Pimlico: The Pimlico club has an indoor range for use in the colder part of the year, but it really comes into its own in the summer months. It has access to the gardens of Kensington Palace, residence of TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales. This presents what must be a world-exclusive opportunity - practising archery in the grounds of a royal palace.

• Highgate: A venue for all your needs is at your disposal here in the North! Hen or stag party, corporate team building event, family day out, first date, you name it, they can organise it! It has a fantastic indoor range and even operates a mobile service, see below for more information.

• Richmond: If images of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest or Legolas in Middle Earth make you more inclined to look for this outdoor activity, you should head up the River Thames. In Richmond, you’ll find an outdoor range that’s idyllic enough to make your imagination fly. You’ll have to control it to focus on the target though!

• Feltham: You can channel the archer-heroes of the big screen in Feltham too, by using bows and arrows as combat weapons! Don’t worry, this is perfectly safe. It’s Archery Tag, a recent development in the leisure world that combines the long-established tradition of this activity with the excitement of games like dodgeball and laser tag.

• Bromley: Beginners, intermediate and advanced archers are welcome at the venue in Beckenham. There’s tailored coaching of all kinds on offer, and provision for wheelchair users and people with visual impairments to get involved in this rewarding sport.

• Walthamstow: A separate strand of the history of this sport is picked up at a centre in Walthamstow, at the east of the city. It’s Ottoman Archery of the mediaeval Islamic tradition. The biggest superficial difference between it and the “mediterranean” style is that you release the bowstring with your thumb. If you take part in a taster session, however, you'll learn about the unique terminology and scoring system used in this discipline as well as some of its cultural aspects.

• Romford: Apart from arrows, you can fire bolts and bullets at targets in Romford. All kinds of target sports are on offer, including this activity but also crossbow shooting and air rifle range sessions. Why not try all three and try to develop transferable skills?

• Wherever you are: There are a number of mobile services that offer both target shooting and Archery Tag. If you have access to a large outdoor area or an enclosed space like a sports hall, you can have a team come to you to set up a range or an arena and lead a session.

Options for organising this experience

- So long as you stick to the licensed and insured venues and clubs that we’ve mentioned above, you can participate in this sport in whatever way you like. Have a go sessions are readily available and can easily be adapted to suit special occasions like birthdays, stag and hen parties and team building events for youth organisations or workplaces. If one of these is enough to get you hooked, you can continue training on a course or with coaching lessons when convenient for you. Both one-on-one and group sessions are options and people of all ages and abilities are catered to.

- Archery Tag is another popular option for large groups, though you don’t have to be part of a crowd to get involved. Again, this is a very accessible activity for all audiences.

Requirements to do this activity

In most centres the sessions are given to adults, but children with a minimum age of 10 years can participate with prior notice, as long as they are accompanied by an adult for their supervision.

In addition, in some clubs it is necessary to be part of Archery GB and the membership can be transferred without problem from one Club to another. If you are not part of the association, you do not have to worry. Everyone is welcome to try this activity for the first time, to learn to shoot or to resume the activity, since the procedures can be carried out at the centre itself.

On the other hand, Archery Tag, because it is a much less harmful game mode and totally oriented towards leisure, is suitable for children of around eight years old and above, which is very safe due to the use of special bows, arrows and face masks.

Can you hit the bullseye? Make a booking and find out!