Canal Walk: The East End and Olympic Park

Today I went to London for a towpath trek in the East End of London and a look at the almost finished Olympic Park.

the leaving of Liverpool

 My train from Liverpool Lime Street was at the uncivilized hour of 07:15 so it was an early start for me. Walking past one of my local Tesco's I saw the staff chasing after a local smackhead who had knicked someones phone. For once I got to the station just about on time, usually I am far too early or running down the platform. After buying a paper I bumped into a colleague of mine the very talented local artist Colette Lilley, far too early in the day for conversation though. 

The trip down was fine, I had two Richard Herring podcasts that saw me through the whole trip. In no time at all I was in London. Exciting times in the capitol too with the Olympic Games just weeks away now.

View East End Canal Walk in a larger map

I walked from Euston to Holbourne tube station. The forecast hadn't been great for today but the sun was shining and it was warm already. The weather was forecast to improve throughout the day too. Perfect for a nice stroll by the canal.
I like the London Underground. I like the wind that blows through the stair wells and tunnels. I like the Art Deco style and tiles. I like the flesh eating zombies that live down there. I sat on the train trying not to look too much like a tourist. I would love to be one of the book reading commuters living the cosmopolitan lifestyle. But I am not. I am from the North and I am too impressed by seeing the name "Grange Hill" on the tube map. And the Hammersmith and City Line reminds me of Lean On Me I Wont Fall Over a Carter USM song covered by the Family Cat back in the 1990s. Oyster Cards, Londoners dont know how lucky they are to have them.

It didn't take long to get to Mile End and to be back in the sunshine. The canal is a short walk down the road from the tube station. Without thinking I turned left and headed down the Regents Canal to Limehouse. I had the choice of walking clockwise or anti-clockwise on my route. It was only 500 yards along I realised I was going anti-clockwise. As it turned out this was the best way to go.

a little birdhouse on the canal

It was 2008 when I last walked this bit of canal: see blog here and a lot has changed since then. The weather wasn't as good bad then and I managed to miss Canary Wharf due to the low cloud.  Today there was no missing the landmark building.

the start of the Regents Canal

The towpath was quiet from Mile End to Limehouse Basin, just a couple of walkers and runners. At the basin there were a few more people about. It would be a nice place to run around and there were a few people doing just that. I'm sure if I lived here I could manage to do a few laps of the basin every day. 


In the dock there are a variety of boats, some narrowboats and yachts  but there was one boat you couldn't miss. A huge white gin palace. 

Great White Whale

As well as the great white whale there were a fleet of grey fiberglass taxi boats which will take people from Limehouse up to the Olympic Park. There were some larger boats too that look ready to take the crowds to the Games. It is nice that the canal will be used as transport. Although there have been some downsides for canal users.

Water Taxis

Walking round the basin I arrived at the Limehouse Cut. The Limehouse Cut is a new canal to me, I have never set foot on it and didn't know anything about what the surroundings were like. The area around the basin is made up of new apartment buildings that are well out of my price range. There was also a pill bug walking along the decking looking rather out of place in such a modern area.

At the start of the Limehouse Cut

Once round the first bend the Limehouse Cut is a long straight stretch (over a mile) up to Bow Locks and the tidal Bow Creek. This stretch of canal is perhapse a bit dull for canal fans. The towpath is good and perfect for cyclists. The area has clearly been recently regenerated. I kept imagining that Bootle or Vauxhall could look like this. There were still some old warehouses and signs of industry but most of it was very new apartment and houses. 

the last bit of dereliction

There was a short terrace of modern houses, one on each side of the canal facing each other. This was the first place I had seen anyone who looked like they lived there. Most of the women were Muslims in bright coloured clothes. Two were authentic cockerneys though, they were having a conversation across the canal. As I walked underneath the debate seemed to be about the time it would take to get from A to B via C. The conclusion was "oh for facks sake". 

Past the sweary women I saw something I didnt expect on a canal in London, a Challenger tank. Not just the Challenger but a few scout cars and little tanks. 

Challenger Tank and friends

Armored transport

At the end of the Limehouse Cut is Bow Locks. It was nice to see some canal architecture after the long straight channel so far. The locks have a nice 1930s feel to them, with the little cabin and the concrete bridge over the canal. It can get a bit confusing around here. I had just left the Limehouse Cut, on the right was the Bow Creek. I think I was now following the River Lee Navigation. But not the River Lea. Anyway onwards.

Rail Bridge on the Lee Navigation

There were a few more people around at this point, fishing, walking dogs, looking like they were having an afternoon out in the sunshine. 

At 11:40 I arrived at 3 Mills. At 3 Mills there are two mills, House Mill (1776) and Clock Mill (1817) The missing third mill went in the 16thC but the name has stuck. 

The buildings look like they should be in a nice rural village. The site is now used for television and film production. House Mill is open to visitors on Sundays and is the largest tidal powered mill in the world but the new lock on Prescott Channel mean it has lost its tidal aspect. 

After a bit of a sit down I carried on along the Lee Navigation. beyond 3 Mills I started to see signs of construction and then the first sight of an Olympic building. The ArcelorMittal Orbit observation tower looks like two construction cranes mating, or maybe St Johns Beacon being attacked by a crane. Either way its pretty big, 115metres high.

There were a few working boats, showing that the canal has been used in the construction of the Olympic Park. The whole redevelopment seems to have been very positive for this area.

Bantum Tugs

I had wondered if the towpath on my route would be open during the construction of the Olympic Park, in fact I didn't even know if there was a towpath for some sections. I came to a sign which warned of towpath closures in just 3 days time. I was lucky to have picked this weekend to come and not next. There was a floating roadblock to stop boaters entering the site. 

Soon the towpath was joined by a high wire fence with CCTV cameras at short intervals all the way along it. There were some security guards in hi-viz jackets and the area had the feel of a large event in the waiting. To add to this music from the Olympic Stadium was drifting over towards me. The sort of corporate event music you hear in large events and nowhere else. 

Canal block ready to stop traffic. 

Towpath Closures.

Modified Art

Big Brother is Watching You

At Old Ford Lock the towpath seems very close to the Olympic Stadium. But there is another very important building here. The lock keepers house by Old Ford Lock is the former Big Breakfast house. Now largely hidden by a high hedge, this is where Chris Evans and friends used to entertain 1990s Britain in the morning. The canal was occasionally used in the show for watery features and the area was shown in the opening and closing titles.

Old Ford Lock Keepers Cottages

Flowers

Not far after Old Ford Lock is junction with the Hertford Union Canal. There were police walking along the towpath searching for bombs. At the bridge where the towpath crosses over to the Hertford Union the towpath ahead along the Lee navigation was closed and more hi-viz jackets were stood around directing people. There was a very heavy duty road block too, and a police man that looked like he was cradling a machine gun. Security will be very high around here.

Gongoozlers looking at the Olympic Park

Crossing over to the Hertford Union Canal the towpath felt a bit calmer. There were some little sculptures on the canal edge. Little men stood looking at the view or relaxing in the sunshine. I like art that has to be discovered. Finding something by accident is always a rewarding surprise. 

There were a few boats moored up here, they looked like boats that people lived on. A lot of boaters have been moved or will have to move because of the Games. Not just for security but also for profit. I can understand why these boaters are unhappy about this but they are at least lucky to live on boats which can move. In other countries people have had their houses demolished to build venues for the Eurovision Song Contest or a Bible Theme Park. Hopefully these boaters, or liveaboards, can move back to an improved environment when the Games are over. 

Not all art is as nice as the little men, some of the graffiti was quite eye-catching if not anatomically correct. 

Walking along I was stopped by a lady looking for an entrance to the Olympic Park. After comparing her map to my Nicholsons we worked out where she should go. Even on my days off I am supporting people with information. 

The Hertford Union Canal borders the rather lovely Victoria Park. The towpath was much busier here and there were a lot of boats moored up with various types of people enjoying the sunshine.

The canal has a nice atmosphere by the park and some visiting Africans looked very impressed with it. 

Along the railings of Victoria Park were notices, Advice Notices, for boater who will be relocated during the Games. Most had had the boaters opinion added to them. There will be a 15 mile zone around the games in which boaters will have to pay quite high mooring fees during the Games. Boaters not wanting to pay will have to move. Some of the people who live on the boats think that the Olympic Games are just a excuse to "socially cleanse" them from this section of canal. I can understand why people who have paid for permanent moorings are upset by having to move. Continuous cruisers should of course spend no longer than 2 weeks in one lace so they should be quite used to moving about. Link to an article about the issue.

I left the Hertford Union Canal, another canal I have walked completely.My original plan was to head back to Mile End, completing the circuit and getting the tube back to the west end. But as the sun was so lovely and I had nothing better to do so I turned right instead of left and headed off to Islington along the Regents Canal.

Samuel House: I am Here

Samuel House by the canal in Haggerston caught my eye. While waiting for its demolition the flats have not been re-let when tenants leave. One by one the windows were boarded up. As a response to this the I Am Here project put pictures of the tenants in the windows to remind everyone that these were and still are peoples homes. 

I am a fan of twitter and one of the accounts I follow is @gusthefox he is a disgusting fox who lives near the canal in London. I was delighted to see a sign pointing out where Gus the fox had bummed a heron. He does that sort of thing. 

@gusthefox

The Regents Canal is very nice, it is up there in my top 3 canals. There is very little left from its old industrial days, the slums and the factories and warehouses. What is left has been reused and restored in a sympathetic and modern way. The canal has not been ignored in the areas regeneration and is a very popular environment for people to use. If only all urban canals were so well used. 

Floating bookshop

Nearing Islington I found a floating bookshop with a floating cafe next door to it. By now I was getting a bit hot an weary. And hungry. I hadn't had any lunch and I was starting to think about food. As i trudged along someone called my name. Not what I expected hundreds of miles from home. Especially as the only person I know in London was in Ireland this weekend. But it was nice to bump into a friend and former colleague for the second time today even if after a 10 mile walk in the sun I wasn't quite looking my best. 

A welcome pint of IPA

At Islington the canal goes underground. I went overground and got a surprisingly cheap lunch from a newsagent on the way. On the other side of the tunnel the promise of a pint in the Constitution kept me going. There have been a few changes along the canal since my last trek along here. The towpath around Kings Cross has been done up and looks pretty good now. This seems to be the plan. There is a new bridge and improved access.

Again the canal is improving despite the economic climate. Once a canal is open and available it will get used and the more it is used the better it is for everyone.

At last I was nearing the Constitution. If I hadn't walked 11 miles in the sunshine I probably would have sat out in the beer garden. But the comfy seat inside was perfect. My feet appreciated the rest and the rest of me appreciated the pint.

The Constitution, Camden

After my pint I was ready to carry on to Camden and the end of the line for me. Around Camden the towpath was packed with people enjoying a rare sunny summer day. I walked past the old TV-AM studios and up to Camden high street. The market was even busier. Too busy for me so I didn't even attempt to look around. 

Canal at Camden next to the former TV-Am studios

I walked back down to Euston and then on to the British Museum. I had a mint Magnum and sat in one of Bloomsbury's lovely squares. There in the square the homeless sat alongside the tourists, all enjoying a nice sit down in the sunshine. I couldn't wait to get back on the train and a comfy sit down. Another two podcasts got me back to Liverpool and home. 

It was a good day out. The weather was amazing. I would recommend the East End for a walk, or maybe better as a cycle. I had thought about getting one of  Boris' bikes. They do seem to be popular, quite a few passed me on the towpath. The Olympic Park looks to be a very positive development for that bit of London. There has been enough criticism of the Games but I hope that the legacy for the canal will be positive and last for decades.

Pub Review: The Constitution, Camden

The Constitution is right next to the Regents Canal, a short walk along the towpath from Camden Lock. When we got there at Sunday lunchtime there were only a couple of people there. The beer was nice and the garden out the back over looking the canal would be lovely in the sunshine. The Oktoberfest beer was lovely. 
I would like to go back to this pub when its busy and have a good night out. Definitely a pub worth stopping at if you are walking along the Regents Canal. 

Canal Walk: Paddington to Little Venice

On the Sunday morning we went for a walk. For a change Kate the official, but probably not chronic alcoholic, beer reviewer of towpathtreks.co.uk was coming for a walk rather than a pint. Admittedly we were walking to Camden and a pub but for now she was just walking. 
We found the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union and did a lap of Browning's Basin at Little Venice. 

Pub Reviews: The Narrow Boat and Prince of Wales, Islington

We took the tube to Angel, Islington and found our way to the top of the tunnel that takes the Regents Canal underneath Islington. Its a short walk from the tunnel to Wenlock Basin and the Narrow Boat pub. 

The Narrow Boat is a modern pub with access from the street above or the towpath below. There are windows over looking the Regents Canal and balconies to sit out on in good weather. The pub is as much about food as it is about drink. But the drink was good, Red Fox and London Pride by Fullers and Sharp's Doom Bar. The drink prices weren't too bad either. 

Despite it being busy it wasn't too noisy and we found a table. When we ordered food it came surprisingly quickly. There are specials on the blackboards and a single sheet menu. The prices are not bad, this is Islington after all.  The wild boar and apple sausages were very nice. 

If the Narrow Boat is for people who want wild boar sausages and wine, then the Prince of Wales a little further along the cut is for people who want a pint of beer and a pickled egg. It did have Spitfire and Adnams but that was about it. The pub was fine, the tv was showing the football and some old people were enjoying a quiet drink. No one was enjoying the pickled eggs. 


Out of the two pubs the Narrow Boat was far nicer. I will definitely go back there. 

Canal Walk: The Regents Canal: Camden to Little Venice

This weekend I was down in London to see some friends and while there finish off the Regents Canal. I got up early Sunday morning and had a full English breakfast to fuel my trek. From Euston Station it is fairly simple to get to the canal at Camden Lock. I walked up Eversholt Street, along side the station, which turns into Camden High Street. The weather was perfect, it wasn't yet nine am but it was warm enough to just wear a t-shirt.
I had a quick look around the old canal wharf buildings while the market workers were setting up their stalls. The canal market looks almost ready to reopen following its destruction by fire. After negotiating a passage through a throng of German school children by the lock I crossed the simple but pretty metal bridge which takes the towpath from the lock side across the canal to the towpath on the far side beyond the arm which serves the wharf buildings and market. There is now a doorway from the market to the towpath to save you walking all the way around.
There is an archway taking the towpath over another arm, once known as the Dead Dog Hole. The stonework is scored by rope marks.
The canal passes under road and rail, the railway to Euston Station crosses the canal after the Pirate Castle. It was quiet on the canal, no barges on the move and just a few dog walkers and cyclists. Soon after Camden the canal reaches Regents Park and London Zoo. On one side is the famous Aviary and on the other side were a pack of Painted African Hunting Dogs. They were running along the fence of their compound at the edge of the canal. It was odd to see something from a Safari on the side of an English canal. The dogs and birds are all you can see of the zoo from the towpath.
As the canal circles the Regents Park it passes some huge houses in the Greek and Roman classical style. Some of them do look like they would suit a Premiership footballer in Cheshire.
The canal passes under some more railway bridges. One had some poor unfortunate living underneath it.
At Maida Hill there are some moorings, almost all narrow boats, before the canal enters a tunnel. There is no towpath so walkers have to go over the top. It seems logical to go up the steps right next to the tunnel's portal but the gate at the top was locked so I came back down and walked back to the next bridge. There you can leave the towpath and go up to the top and follow the canal cutting looking down to where you have just been. A boat was just entering the tunnel as I passed by the locked gate that had stopped me minutes before. Its fairly easy to follow the route of the tunnel, its a straight tunnel and the road above is also straight. You pass Crockers Folly, a pub said to have been built in anticipation of a railway terminus being built opposite it. Unfortunatley the station was built further away and legend has it the landlord jumped to his death from the window of his large "gin palace".
There is a cafe overhanging the other entrance of the tunnel. You cannot rejoin the towpath straight away due to private moorings. A short distance along Bloomfield Road there is a gap in the railings and you can get back to the waters edge just in time to pass under bridge number 1 of the Regents Canal. Next to the bridge is the former toll office.
Through the bridge the canal opens up into the triangular basin known as Brownings Pool. Named after the poet Robert Browning (1812-1889) who lived nearby. From the Regents Canal, on the left is Paddington Basin and Paddington Station; ahead is the Grand Union Canal and the rest of the countries canal network. There are public toilets in gardens by Brownings Pool.
You can follow the canal along to Paddington Basin, once a busy inland port. Leave the canal and you are at Paddington Station. A short walk away is Hyde Park.

Photos from the walk and the other walks on the Regents Canal can be found here:
http://www.towpathtreks.co.uk/Other/regents_canal.html

Canal Walk: Limehouse to Islington ~ 4 miles

Last time I was in London we walked from the western entrance of Islington tunnel on the Regent’s Canal to Camden Lock and then back to the Canal Museum. This time I planned to walk from Limehouse Basin, formerly Regents Canal Dock, to eastern side of the Islington Tunnel and then over the top to the other side.

To get to Limehouse I had planned to take the DLR from Bank underground station to Limehouse station. But due to engineering work the DLR wasn’t running so we followed a trail of signs to find and catch the rail replacement bus. After a short bus ride past the Tower of London we guessed we were at Limehouse and got off the bus.
There are signs to the Regent’s Canal towpath and Limehouse Basin on Commercial Road. The towpath can be easily accessed from Commercial Road. Commercial Road Lock is the start of the Regents Canal; it locks the canal into the dock. Next to the lock is an information board. There are information boards along the canal giving history and explanation. These boards are very good despite the fact that quite a few have been defaced. The board by Commercial Road has something else; if you turn a handle you can hear a barge woman talking about her life on the canal.

We walked around the dock. It was quiet, just one boat was on the move, a street cleaner flicked dog turds into the water and a couple of live-aboards were doing the usual chores. The dock was once packed with working boats and alive with industry and trade. Now it is surrounded by luxury apartments, new buildings rather than converted warehouses. As with other places on the canal the modern apartment blocks look deserted. There must be hundreds of flats but no sign of a community.

On the eastern side of the basin is the rather anonymous start of the Limehouse or Lee Cut. This canal is older than the Regents and links the Thames (via Limehouse basin since 1968) to the River Lee.
On the opposite side of the basin to the Commercial Road Lock is Limehouse Ship Lock. This lock links the dock to the River Thames. There are plenty of walks around here with the Thames Path passing by.

Back at Commercial Road Lock. The lock, like the others, is duel. There are two locks side by side with one having been weir-ed. The weir-ed lock has its gates removed and means that the canal will regulate its level. The weirs mean there is no need for lock keepers to monitor the water levels. Luckily the lock keepers houses remain.

With the dock and the lock behind us we set off for Islington. Salmon Lane Lock is not far from Commercial Road Lock. There is handsome set of lockside houses besides Salmon Lane Lock. Its windows are barred but the loud music coming from inside suggests it’s somebody’s home.

There is little left of the industry that once surrounded this canal. There is a lone chimney with no mill or factory to go with it. On the right is an old warehouse once rented by Doctor Barnardo to be used as a home for his ragged boys. Opposite are blocks of new apartments, some still under construction besides Johnson’s Lock.

At Mile End there are two brick bridges before Mile End Lock. The lock keepers cottage has a very modern extension. It is one of those things that will divide opinion. It means the lock keepers house is well maintained and still in use which has t be a good thing but how will it look in 10 or 20 years? I can’t see it lasting as well as the original building.

The area was once known for its slums but now has Mile End Park instead. The park area reminded me of the Garden Festival Site in Liverpool. It must have looked good when it was opened and new but now, in February 2008, it was looking a bit run down. On the offside of the canal there are large blocks of new apartments or offices. Once again there is no sign of the people who live and work there. The old film of a horse drawn barge taking coal up the canal shows people waving at the camera from their back gardens, or stood on bridges. Where is this community now?

Next I spotted a pair of boundary posts. One has been broken off near its base. The other is leaning forward a bit and has some spray paint on it. It is possible to make out a few letters but I couldn’t tell what it said.

Had the weather been better and my shoes more comfortable we would have walked along the Hertford Union Canal which joins the Regents Canal just before Victoria Park. The canal is only a mile and a quarter long, linking up with the Lee Navigation. It was never successful as a commercial waterway. Note the stop lock at the junction to control the trade and water.

The towpath is popular with runners and cyclists. Not all the bikers have taken on board the Two Tings message so keep your wits about you.

At Old Ford Lock there are some canal buildings that could be stables. A police horse was patrolling Victoria Park and as I ducked under the next bridge I realised the canal horses must have been short as well as strong.

Approaching Bethnal Green the canals surroundings become a bit more urban. There is a large gas holder and an interesting archway on the offside. Coming into town and the shopping centre there are signs that the area has seen some of the regeneration that the rest of the canal has. It’s not long before there are more luxury apartment blocks. Who lives in them?! The brand new buildings make the old brick bridges look out of place. There is a new railway bridge over the canal before Kingsland Basin. The bridges on this section have sign posts telling you not only the names of the bridges but the walking time in between them. This canal has very good signage and a lot is done to promote the use of the towpath.
After Sturts Lock there are two large basins, Wenlock Basin and City Road Basin. While passers-by took photos of a narrow boat going through the next lock I was more impressed by the 1960s Norman moored opposite City Road Basin. At first I thought it was a Norman 25 but it had a sun deck at the back which would make it longer. It was in a bit of a sorry state but it was nice to see a Norman on the Regent’s Canal. Next to the Norman was another information board with a handle to wind. This time it was a lock keeper’s voice telling us about his life on the canal.
Past the lock and through a bridge and we were at the eastern portal of the Islington Tunnel. It’s tempting to try to see down the tunnel but I just held my camera out to see if I could photo the light at the other end.
There is no towpath through the tunnel so horses were taken over the top.
We left the canal and headed up hill into Islington. We stopped off at an antiques market where I bought some postcards of Southport and Liverpool. The postcard of the Pierhead might show the wall that was recently uncovered by the canal link excavations. On top of the tunnel there are shops, bars, restaurants as some very nice houses. There are some blue signposts showing the way to the other side of the tunnel but these signs seem to stop around Sainsbury’s. While we were stood looking at the A-Z wondering where to go next a passing local asked if we were looking for the canal! How did he guess? He complained about the lack of signs and pointed us in the right direction. Through a housing estate and down Muriel Street and there was the canal again, emerging from beneath us. It’s easy to get back onto the towpath at the tunnel. With weary feet and legs we walked to the next bridge and left the canal to walk back to Kings Cross to buy sandwiches which we ate at the British Library.

I enjoyed this walk. I wish I had worn my trainers rather than my Royal Mail boots. The towpath is good throughout and busy with runners and cyclists. The Regents Canal has excellent information boards and the audio feature is a great idea. It is a bit of a shame that there are few historical buildings along the route. Unlike Blackburn or Burnley all trace of the past has been replaced by new buildings. The canal has retained its lock keeper cottages and the one at Mile End Lock has been brought into the 21st Century.
Given the choice I would pick to walk through Regents Park rather than Bethnal Green. Limehouse Basin would be worth visiting as part of a River Thames walk. The Regents Canal is a good example of how canals can bring wealth and regeneration to areas but could also be a warning about soul-less developments.

Canal Walk: The Regents Canal

This week I have been down to London to visit my friend Katie and do some towpath trekking on The Regents Canal. After visiting the newly refurbished and very impressive St Pancras Station and platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station we walked to the canal near the London Canal Museum. The museum doesn’t open till 10am so being early we headed to the towpath. The Museum is off Wharfdale Road, we walked to the end and on to Caledonian Road which crosses the canal. You can gain access to the towpath from the bridge. We left the road and walked up to the Islington Tunnel and peered inside. The tunnel is 960 yards or 878metres long, the built by James Morgan. The opening to the tunnel is brick while inside the lining is of large blocks of stone. There is no towpath through the tunnel. We turned around to walk the short distance to Camden.
The area around Kings Cross is being redeveloped. The re-opened St Pancras Station has driven this regeneration. Many old buildings are being converted and many new buildings are being built. At one of the construction sites by the canal there were two barges being used to carry waste. They were unpowered and probably rely on the museums Bantum to be moved.
We carried on past the museum (now on the other side) and under York Way. To the left is the back of Kings Cross station and a gas holder. The canal is wide here and the towpath bends around. It is quite a sun trap and a homeless man had taken advantage of this and was sleeping on a bench. A little further on is a stop lock. The wooden gates are now rotten but the metal hinges are still there. This lock could have been to control boats for tolls or control water flow.
Next are St Pancras Locks. There were two locks here but one of them has been weir-ed leaving the other one in use. The lock gates are a bit different to those on other canals. The balance beams aren’t horizontal they are angled down to where they meet. There is a little lock cottage next to the lock. After the lock there is a basin which used to be a coal basin and is now a marina, St Pancras station was built on part of this basin. The EuroStar trains cross the canal here between Paris and London.
The towpath is concrete here with power cables running underneath. It is very popular with cyclists, and I guess these are the ones who give the others a bad name. They are fast and quiet despite the “Two Tings” campaign.
Royal College Street bridge and Camden Road bridge are both brick bridges that have been widened. There was a handsome heron at the next locks, again one lock was weir-ed and is obviously a good place for fishing. In the pound between these locks and the next is the former TV AM studios, which were originally part of a brewery.
Under the main high street in Camden and up to Hampstead Road Locks. Camden Market uses the old canal basin buildings. The trip boats moor here. Both the Hampstead Road locks are working. The balance beams pass over each other to save room. The market wasn’t open but some of the shops were and I got a free sample of chocolate cake while walking around the upper level of shops. It would have been nice if Liverpool had kept some of its canal buildings and had shops such as these at its terminus.