Tunnel, Basins and a Museum on the Regents Canal

Sunday, 21 August 2011 11:13

The green duckweed was still with us as we approached Battlebridge Basin

We were now fast approaching the East End of London, soon to become the centre of the sporting world when London hosts the 2012 Olympic Games with the main stadium in Stratford .....

Battlebridge Basin (or Horsfall Basin) is home to the London Canal Museum which we visited a number of years ago (via Canary Wharf and the tube). It is housed in a former ice house built around 1862 for Carlo Gatti, the ice cream maker.

London Canal Museum

On the right hand corner is the HQ of Guardian Newspapers, Kings Place, which incorporates a 400 seater concert hall. Ahead of us was Islington Tunnel, at 960 yards rather longer than Maida Hill Tunnel and the longest of the London canal tunnels.

Islington Tunnel west portal

The duckweed stayed with us through the tunnel and beyond, where there are some visitor moorings

Cut towards City Road Lock

I was picking John up just below the locks on landings like this one below - note the bywash coming out from under the building

Below City Road Lock

City Road Basin is immediately below the lock, the largest of the Regents Canal Basins. All the moorings around here will be suspended for The Angel Festival at the beginning of September.

City Road Basin

By Wharf Road Bridge and opposite Wenlock Basin is the Narrowboat pub - there are a few bollards on the towpath for customers to moor. However we continued down the straight cut lined with pontoon moorings, to Sturt's Lock.

I have mixed feelings about this campaign:

On the one hand it is good to warn pedestrians of on coming bikes, but on the other hand it seems that the "two tings" have given cyclists the idea that they can then have priority and speed by having complied. There are notices all along the towpath stating "pedestrians have priority", so I am pleased when cyclists slow down and say thank you - a rarity unfortunately.

Kingsland Road Bridge could arguably be the canal boundary of the City of London and the East End. Of course, true East Enders may know different! Follow this link to a map of the East End: the Regents Canal is north of Tower Hill and Shoreditch. New North Road Bridge crosses the canal just after Sturt's Lock (west of Shoreditch).

Kingsland Road Bridge

There are always disputes as to the boundary of London's East End and in my next blog I will introduce you to it from the Regents Canal perspective .....