Regents Canal - full moorings and canoes on the way into Camden

Thursday, 18 August 2011 23:47

Waters Meeting Bridge or Prince Albert Road Bridge is where the "feeling" of the Regents Canal changes dramatically

Prince Albert Road Bridge, not the prettiest of bridges

After we turned left under this bridge we were passing some visitor moorings but .....

Beyond the next bridge, Regents Park Road Bridge, are the beginning of Camden Visitor moorings. These are much in demand and were full, although the Black Prince hire boat that had passed us on the previous evening had found a space. I will avoid saying the obvious about full moorings here, but other boaters will know what we were thinking!

Camden visitor moorings near Primrose Hill

We thought that the canal was quiet but a passing narrowboat informed us that it was not so ahead of us, with water buses etc coming and going.

More moorings with bridge 16 in the distance

It amused us, and it did when we were here last time too, to see the VM sign next to "no mooring" painted on the canal-side.

Welcome - but not too welcome

Black Prince now have a base at Willowtree Marina and we have seen a number of their hire boats over the last few days. We were also encountering lots of canoes based at the Pirates Castle, a youth activity centre with plenty to do for the kids. It is really good to see them out on the water and hopefully they will come to appreciate the canal - I wonder if they are told any of its history?

The Pirates Castle and Southampton Bridge

Apparently there is a large Morrisons supermarket near here - but we did not have time or a vacant mooring to find out. The canal passes between old and new - the flats on the Dingwall's Wharf and the new ones opposite. There are a few moorings here too - but occupied, of course!

Flats either side

When I looked closely at my photos, I could see that the flats on the left only have an old façade, behind it they are modern.

The old entrance to Dead Dog Basin is here too - I wonder who dubbed it that!

Ahead was the footbridge before the first of the Camden flight of three locks

Now things began to get more busy and I needed to be on my mettle .....