Travel Tips

OK, come with me now and we will go for a walk that many visitors to London will never take. Most people would not associate London with canals, but there is a fully functioning canal system hidden slightly out of the way in the capital.

Our journey along the Regent's Canal begins at Limehouse Basin, formerly called Regent's Canal Basin. This is where the canal meets the mighty River Thames, and it is from here that goods were unloaded from all over the world and transferred to boats to be transported all over England.

I remember this place over 20 years ago when, like the whole Docklands area, it was pretty rundown but as the photo shows, it has become very upmarket lately.

So, let us follow in the footsteps of the plodding 19th century horse pulling it's huge laden 72 foot boat and see what the canal has to offer.

A short distance from Limehouse Basin, it is a good idea to stand and look back at the famous skyline of the Canary Wharf complex.

Here it is.

The photo also shows an important modern use. You will always find joggers and cyclists making use of the traffic and fume-free environment to move about.

I quite like the juxtaposition in this photo of the very modern Canary Wharf and the old industrial chimney. I think it indicates the changing nature of the East End.

Walking on a bit further we come to the Ragged School Museum, as we head towards the Mile End Road. This former warehouse was rented in 1876 by the world famous Dr. Barnardo. It was here that he founded a school for the poor "ragged" children of the East End. It is interesting to note that the London Borough of Tower Hamlets where we now are is still, despite the great wealth nearby, one of the most socially deprived in the UK.

Another short stroll takes us to the Mile End lock, where the canal passes closest to my home, about ten minutes walk away. Actually, this is not the first lock we have passed. People tend to think of london as being fairly flat but there are no less than 12 locks between Limehouse Basin and Paddington. Who would have thought London was so hilly?

If you want to leave the towpath here and have a look around, you might like to look at my Mile End page which might give you a few ideas.

The canal then continues past the delightful Victoria Park where we pass from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to the London Borough of Hackney.

I do love industrial architecture, and there is certainly plenty of it on the canal. The last time I walked this particular section was fairly overcast, and I like the effect which makes the gasometer very dark and almost ominous.

At this point (just West of Cambridge Heath Road) a small glance to the left will show you one of the many residential moorings on the canal. I am always amazed at how many people actually live on their boats in the capital, although the price of houses perhaps should make it less surprising.

This was an odd little boat I spotted on my walk. It is obviously not big enough to be residential, yet it is too big to be a tug, so I suspect it may be some sort of day boat. It is certainly not a very common configuration.

This rather quirky sign indicates that you have reached Shoreditchwhich borders the London Borough of Hackney and the City of London, although the canal is definitely in Hackney.

I shall continue my little canal walk with you in London's hidden artery (2).