| Regent's and Grand Union Canals tips and photos posted by real travelers and London locals. • 51 Photos
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Canals - once an important part of London's economy, providing vital thoroughfares for the transportation of coal, wood, bricks etc but now only preserved for the purposes of passenger tours. This museum is located at the old Ice Wells near Kings Cross. The Wells themselves have a fascinating and intriguing history as in the 19thC natural ice was imported from Norway for the London butchers and fishmongers and the well off folk, by an Italian called Carlo Gatti. But that's for another tip, another time.
For now, the museum is a collection of canal memorabilia on two floors with a video presentation and a VERY helpful and knowledgeable member of staff who can tell you all about the ice wells and the canal history. There's loads well designed exhibits and information around the walls giving some really fascinating detail of how life was for the canal folk, with some ancient photographs and personal accounts from those who lived the canal life.
It's very much a people friendly museum, and a great place to take children. The website is excellent and gives information in French Italian and German. At just £3 entry for adults this is a great little place to visit on a wet afternoon! Leave a Comment
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In Summer I would recommend a pleasant boat trip from Camdem Lock, London Zoo to Little Venice on Regent's canal. The Regent's canal linking Little Venice to the Thames at Limehouse, was first open in 1820, providing an important industrial transport route. Today, with its unique architecture, industrial histrory, wildlife and scenery the canal offers an unique and interesting view of London.
Little Venice is a pool at the junction with the Grand Union Canal, surrounded by elegant 18th century Nash houses. Paasing between an avanue of trees and colorful moored boats, the canal enters the 250m long Maida Hill Tunnel. Up the entrance have a look/a meal at the lovely Café Laville. After cruising/walking along Regent's park, head to Primrose Hill which offer a good and free lookout on London city or visit London Zoo. From the canal you could see the Snowdon Aviary. Finally you will reach Camden Lock (manually operated), where you could relax on a nice terrace around/up Camden Lock market.
My advice is to take only a one way ticket (50min trip) and come back on foot (90min). Leave a Comment
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 Little Venice by Mr_FuriousLeave a Comment Directions: From Camden town walk west towards Regent's park. After 'crossing' the park you can continue following the Canal, until you are quite close to Paddington station.
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Walks along the Grand Union and Regent's canals offer the visitor some of the more unusual views of the city. Starting at Little Venice (Warwick Avenue Tube), it is possible to walk as far as Camden and beyond to Kings Cross and the East End.
On the way you will see dozens of pretty canal boats, wrought iron bridges, and London Zoo where some of the animals are visible to passers by - hyenas, giraffes and the Snowdon aviary. Camden Town is, as always, absolutely heaving with visitors, kids, punks, tourists, shoppers, fashionistas, drunks and pushers. . It's funky and alive and ... more than a little grubby. That's how it has always been and that's just how it is.
The walk beyond Camden Town is less interesting and not as picturesque imo than the first couple of miles from Little Venice but there are a huge amount of vastly differing architectural styles to be seen amongst the residential buildings.
The contrasts in landscape and environments along the walk are quite dramatic and change rapidly from the sumptuous zillion pound houses with Grecian columns and landscaped gardens sweeping down to the canal banks near the zoo to rundown grafittied social housing developments and unkempt wildflower banks and verges and more industial areas. At some points, particularly around Camden Town, floating debris, plastic bottles, takeaway food containers are everywhere in the water and on the canal banks.
The tow paths are entirely accessible to (fit) wheelchair users with ramps at almost every bridge. The trickiest part came at Camden Town where one has to go over the bridge - which is steep and cobbly and full of people - to access the tow path below.
Please check the British Waterways website for more information.
A new London Travelogue will be here soon! :) Leave a Comment
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I've always liked Regent's Canal. There is a tow path where people can walk right next to it, from Camden to Little Venice. I just walked part of it this time. Originally, I had planned to do a boat trip with one of the canal boats, but again, not enough time.
There is just too much to see and do in London, I cannot understand tourists who say they've been there for two whole days and seen all and "what else is there to do??"
For the first time I discovered St Mark's church, close to Regent's Park. It is called the zoo church and I would have loved to look inside. But no luck, it was locked. I liked the flowers in the churchyard, though, and will add this church to my growing list of next-time-things. Leave a Comment
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This may look like a fairly dismal picture of a barge/canal boat, but that is not the intention at all. If you look closely, you will see that to the side of the barge, their is a small channel of water which would make getting out of the barge pretty awkward. This obviously was not built like this to make it awkward for barge owners!
The real story behind it is a lot more bizarre, and from a byegone age before lorries and trucks, when freight was often pulled along the canal by horses on the twopath dragging boats along the canal. Unfortunately at this point, their is a railway bridge. Nothing too bizarre in that, but when a fast train steams over the bridge, it is likely to panic the horse. A panicked horse tends to bolt, and in this case, the most likely place for it to end up (bearing in mind it is attached to a heavy boat), is in the canal itself! Now obviously, trying to get a panicked horse out of a canal is no easy task, so this ramp was built where the horse could be rescued relatively easily!
Conveniently their is even a sign on the wall by the towpath explaining what this is - see my second phot for this. Leave a Comment Address: Regents Canal, LondonDirections: Use Camden Town Tube and walk down Regents Canal towards London Zoo
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Instead of spending much time in Kensington Gardens as I usually do, this time I walked through Regents Park. The last time I was there I was rushing through it on my way to a matinée in the theatre and didn't really see anything.
This time I took my time and admired the beautiful flower arrangements. Apart from the zoo, it seems to me a park more for elderly people, while Kensington Gardens is more for children. Or maybe it was pure coincidence that there were hardly any children playing when I was there.
In the centre of the park there is a large fountain erected by a rich Indian businessman in the 19th century. On the fountain you can read his name, Cowasjee Jehangir, but he later added "Readymoney" to it. Interesting name, isn't it? Leave a Comment
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 by Sharon
Its a lovely way to explor the heart of London's waterway. If you're doing that on a weekend time then better start in Little Venice and finish in Camden Lock Market and enjoy all the happening of the weekend there, its really fun !
Trip Leaves between 10:30am - 14:30pm on weekdays
10:30am - 16:30pm on weekends. Leave a Comment
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 black & white impression of
the canal walk by RhineRoll, 2 more photos
Some parts of the bank may be closed for construction works, so it might be a good idea to give British Waterways a call and inquire about the access status. Especially so if you are a wheelchair user. The walking path is generally accessible, but this is not the case for a number of access ramps and staircases. As a consequence of this, in case you come across a closure, you might have to go back till the last accessible access point. A risk, that's well worth taking, though. This is arguably one of London's nicest features, don't miss it!
The towpath continues alongside the canal further through the East End -- you could actually do a full daytrip walking tour! Leave a Comment
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 happy canal boat operators in
Little Venice basin by RhineRoll, 3 more photos
Most spots around Little Venice are accessible for wheelchair users through ramps and slopes. These are rather steep in places, some have rough cobblestone surfaces. For taking a boattrip you would need help to be lifted aboard. I haven't seen a disabled toilet around, either. Leave a Comment
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