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London on the water
London is indeed a beautiful city with so many not-to-be-missed landmarks; however it's more than easy to get tired of all the urban hassle. When that happens there is one place that will calm you down and show you the capital from a completely different angle - with a pathway down right behind the massive hub of King's Cross and St Pancras stations, with their St Pancras Renaissance, a crown jewel amongst London hotels, lies hidden a true gem - the Regent's Canal. To me it's a place where I feel like the time has stopped and one can finally hear their own thoughts - with or without headphones on, whether walking, jogging or cycling. The canal is a safe haven to all the ones who every now and again feel the need to escape the big smoke.
The idea of the canal came to life in 1802 and its main purpose was to link the Grand Junction Canal, newly opened at the time, with the River Thames. Main purpose for the new canal was to transship imports to the Midlands, however opening of the London and Birmingham Railway changed the profile of the canal to more local. There were plans to convert the canal itself into a railway, luckily they failed. After The Regent's Canal Company bought the Grand Junction Canal and Warwick Canals, they all formed Grand Union Canal Company. At that point the Regent's Canal carried the majority of new commercial traffic. Shipping iron and steel from Birmingham was cheaper this way than by rail and more commodities were added to the repertoire, mainly building materials such as coal and grain, but also cheese and raw ingredients for the famous HP sauce! More and more basins started to emerge, and many of them still exist till now.
Today the canal is mainly used for leisure cruising. It starts in Little Venice, a stone throw away from Paddington Basin, then passes through Maida Hill, curves around Regent's Park, bisects London Zoo and continues through Camden, with a famous Camden Lock and Camden Lock Market next to it. It then goes behind King's Cross and St Pancras and opens into Battlebridge Basin - the home of London Canal Museum, a place to go to for everyone hungry for more canal history. After the Islington tunnel the canal continues eastwards and the landmarks along the way include Rosemary BranchTheatre, Broadway Market and Victoria Park, the east side of the canal is also one of the best places to spot Banksy's artwork on the scene. After turning south towards Limehouse Basin, Regent's Canal merges with the River Thames.
The canal is very easy to explore on foot or by bike, however there are boat services available as well. Waterways became a good alternative for commuters after the 2005 London bombings and the infrastructure is really well thought of. London Waterbus Company offers hourly services from Camden Lock to Little Venice with a mid-stop at London Zoo, while Jason's Trip, operating on the same route, is more historic and uses an authentic, 100-year old boat. If you'd like to share your canal experience with others, Walker's Quay's barges are available for hire for events, whether corporate or private, and offer regular lunch and dinner cruises. That's more than enough to get a slice of life on the water and get ready to jump back to your everyday life with newly found energy.
Magda Wrzeszcz
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