Walking the London Canal

When talking about rivers in London, everyone knows the Thames. Actually, north of London there is also a canal, the Grand Union Canal built in the 18th century, which was a golden water route at that time. In the spring of 2017, I spent two days walking from Limehouse in the east all the way west along the canal until I reached Little Venice in the west, and I saw the current state of the canal, which is truly vastly different from London. I had not planned to write about it, but this year, staying at home and unable to go anywhere, I sometimes look at my travel notes and recall the canal, feeling it might be forgotten. So I decided to write it down, just as a review.

I remember one day, seeing that the weather was nice, I recalled my intention to walk along the canal, so I took the bus to Limehouse, got off there, and started walking along the bank. The canal is not very wide at the eastern end, but the water is still deep. Many docks are moored along the canal, but these boats are no longer used for transport; they are for living.

It is said that because house prices in London are too high, some people buy houseboats to live in, and of course, some wealthy people buy them for leisure. On one side of the canal, there is a footpath that can also be used for cycling.

The houseboats on the canal in East London are obviously not as high-end as those in the west. The boats are small, the facilities are old, and there are rats on the banks in many places, with poor sanitation. Presumably, the moorings here are much cheaper. I think most people live here, and there are differences between the boats. Some people decorate their houseboats very nicely.

On weekends, sometimes the houseboat owners open their small homes to visitors. Although small inside, they have everything needed.

I saw a houseboat passing through. In some places, there are weirs, and the locks have to be opened to pass.

Walking north along the bank, I came to Victoria Park. The park is large. After visiting it, I continued along the bank. From here, the canal turns west, crossing the northern part of London. Near Angel, the river goes underground, and I ended my first day's journey, taking the subway back from there. On this section, there were no tour boats. The banks displayed various architectural styles.

Another day, I took the bus to Angel again, walked west for a while, and reached the other exit of the river. From there, I started walking along the bank. Soon I arrived at Stables Market, which is a very famous attraction with handicrafts and decorative shops from all over the world, as well as food and snacks from around the globe.

After visiting the market, I continued west along the bank to the northern end of Regent's Park. Of course, I went in for a stroll. The park was beautiful in spring.

On this section, I often saw tour boats, and it was also the most beautiful part of the entire canal bank.

After reaching Maida Hill Tunnel in West London, a short section of the river goes underground. Walking along Aberdeen Place, I soon saw the canal again.

Going further, I reached my destination — Little Venice.

After two days of travel, I completed my plan: walking the London Canal.