"Cool, quirky, trendy Camden :-)" Camden Town, Lock and Market. Tip by Durfun

I think everyone must visit this lovely part of London.

The many markets are spread out & can cater to practically every need. Lots of eateries, cafes, restaurants, clothes & garment stores, reputed bars, tattoo artists, funky shoes, souvenir stores, health foods, music stores, specialist dress shops, etc.

The Lock also adds to the look, feel, and vibe of the place. If you wish take the Canal ride of the most scenic & beautiful stretch of the Grand Union Canal: from Camden Lock to Little Venice (Warwick Avenue) due west, via Regent's Park. This is a 45 minute ride, with an adult return costing 7 GBP. On the way you'll pass some gorgeous mansions with their gardens extending down to the canal-side.

There are various locks in Camden, so it offers the chance to see these in operation! Observe how a barge approaches, then it enters the lock (enclosure) and the gates are closed behind the barge. Next the water level rises... in no time it reaches the level of the body of water that was originally at a higher altitude. Next the front gates are swung open for the barge to continue it's upstream journey. The same process is applied for a journey in the opposite direction, where a barge enters the lock with water at a higher level which is subsequently emptied till the level matches the downstream section. Great fun to watch & learn ;-)

There are market stalls with lots of fast-food joints, and many have really quirky seating arrangements - on top of a line of scooters cut in half and stuck to a wall or railings overlooking the Canal.

Also there are nice cafes overlooking the canal, including ones with a high open terrace, to sit and just relax with a drink while you watch the world pass by ;-)

*** This place is so popular that Camden Town tube station only serves as 'alight only' on Sundays till 1730 hours. So for your return simply walk either north to Chalk Farm, or south to Mornington Crescent, each being a mere 5 minute walk away, and both served by the Northern Line.

Address: Camden High Street
Directions: Camden Town and Chalk Farm tubes, and Mornington Crescent as well!