Regents Canal - Little Venice to Camden Lock

A walk along the Regents Canal from Warwick Avenue Underground (Zone 2).

Most of this walk is along the towpath beside the Regents Canal. We start in the neighbourhood known as Little Venice. Here the Grand Union Canal which enters the River Thames at Brentford joins the Regents Canal, built in the 18th Century to link London with the manufacturing town of Birmingham. A later extension was built around 1812 from Paddington to the London Docks through Regents Park and around North London.

Little Venice forms the junction of these canals, and almost the entire walk uses the towpath alongside the water. We start by walking over the Maida Hill tunnel before descending to the canalside.

All along Blomfield Road, there are narrow boats moored, some available for hire for functions, others converted into restaurants. Later on, most of the boats are residential. All are painted in bright colours, and many have attractive gardens on board.

After passing Lord's Cricket Ground and the London Mosque, the canal starts to skirt the northern side of fashionable Regents Park. The most stunning and imposing houses can be seen beside the canal.

At Macclesfield Bridge we pause to see the deeply grooved iron columns which were rotated when 'Blow Up Bridge' as it became known was rebuilt after a barge laden with dynamite exploded under it one night in 1874.

The walk then takes us through London Zoo, where we can see African Hunting Dogs and Warthogs in their enclosure by the canal. Exotic birds are also to be seen in the Snowden Aviary.

After Cumberland Basin with its Chinese restaurant moored by the bank, the canal diverts north. A gate leads into the famous Camden Market - a busy, noisy eclectic part of the capital full of craft shops, food stalls, punk clothing and much much more.

The walk ends at Camden Town Underground station, just down Camden High Street. The station is on the Northern Line in Zone 2. There are also buses into Central London at this point.