REGENT'S CANAL

 Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London. It provides a link from the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, 550 yards north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London. The canal is 8.6 miles long.

Carved out at the beginning of the 19th century under the auspices of the acclaimed John Nash, it was, like so many architectural projects, overambitious and over-budget. It did see plenty of use in its first 100 years though, before it suffered the same decline as the rest of the country’s canals in the early twentieth century with the rise of rail, and later road haulage.

After narrowly dodging conversion into a railway, it limped through to World War II where it saw an increase in traffic as rail lines became overloaded. The closure of the Regents Canal Dock in 1969 effectively ended the canal’s era of trade. By the 1970s its use was solely for leisure and today it remains a beautiful and serene way to walk (or cycle) between a number of London’s boroughs.

Since then, a community of houseboaters has sprung up to take advantage of the canal’s strategic location. Today the Residential Boat Owners Association estimates that as many as 15,000 people now call Great Britain’s waterways home. Some lead lives as continuous cruisers, traveling from one location to the next without docking anywhere for more than two weeks at a time, while others opt for the stability of a mooring license, allowing them to rent a permanent space to dock their vessel.

So far, I've only walked along a short stretch, from Camden Lock to Granary Square - which is the closest point to St. Pancras Station, and my train home

I've already covered Camden Lock, with its' fabulous markets, so walking through Waterside Halls, I dropped down onto the towpath along the canal. 

Clear of Camden High Street, it becomes a little derelict and wild at first, but there is a lot of urban regeneration going on along the banks, and there's masses of water birds to see.

I spotted several Eqyptian pink-legged geese. They were originally introduced as an ornamental species, but have escaped into the wild and 'gone feral', and are now breeding successfully in this country.

Very common on our inland waterways, the Canada Goose.

I also saw mallards and coots on the canal. And this plant growing on the banks, and apparently it's oleander - not one I'm familiar with

There's a varied collection of narrow boats, moored, and being used as house boats, which is understandable, when you see the price of houses in London!

Depending on the type of boat, these homes can double as transport vehicles for running errands or simply enjoying an evening cruise, while others, lacking motors, remain stationary and serve exclusively as floating residences.

The canal is part of London’s intricate network of canals, basins, locks, and marinas. Inhabitants and travelers along the Regents Canal have easy access to amenities and attractions such as Little Venice, the Kings Cross Railway Station, the London Zoo, Regents Park, and Camden Market, among others. Should residents decide it’s time to drop anchor elsewhere, the canal also provides access to other important waterways such as the Paddington Branch and the River Thames. However, the most eclectic communities float around East London, particularly around Broadway Market, Victoria Park, and beyond, to the River Lee Navigation which passes through Hackney Wick, Hackney Marshes, and Tottenham,

This is Gasholder Park. These constructions were originally the exo-skeletons of huge domestic gas containers. With the advent of natural gas, they were of no further use and the inner containers were dismantled and removed. Fortunately, instead of dismantling the ironwork, someone had the brilliant idea of using three of them to house apartments, and the fourth one was turned into a pretty garden and seating area.

This is St. Pancras basin, overlooked by this rather lovely Victorian water tower. I'm not a great lover of Victorian architecture per se, but this is not only attractive, it fits in well with the hyper-Gothic design of St. Pancras railway station.

Granary Square and the green steps. Such a lovely place to sit and eat lunch on a sunny day.

Granary Square, Coal Drops Yard and King's Boulevard have all been redeveloped, but with consideration to the architecture of the pre-existing warehouses and wharfs. It's now an area full of shops, bars and cafes. The centre of the square is filled with four 'musical' jet fountains, that fire upwards in such a way that you can hear and feel a rhythmic beat. It's all extremely relaxing and soothing