Short read: Forget the pavement, the sidewalk, the street, the beaten path. The towpath – unseen, untrodden, unexplored, unknown London – beckons.
Long read: The London of a couple of centuries ago. A London of tunnels and bridges and narrowboats and locks. To say nothing of the life-and-death struggle between the workhorses of the canals and the iron horses of the railways. Ooh. Ah. Yes. The towpath. Shows you a stretch of London – a secret interstice of London – you won’t have seen before. And makes for a fascinating look at our past.
And maybe at our future. In the shape of the Granary Building complex. To see London you have to hear it. So hear this: Granary Building. That’s right. It was the trans-shipment point for cargoes of grain – from the north by rail into waiting canal barges. It’s now a hub of the fashion industry, the home of the buzz, the centrepiece of a complete transformation of the area. And more shape-shifting – a splendid nature reserve on what was an industrial site.
And mind’s eye transformations as well. Great connections and asides and notations – a telling Dickens glimpse, for example. And the usual – usual? – canal life and times and culture and history details. Everything from horse dips to tow rope scars to ARP gates. All of it leading up to the Wizard of Oz moment – the canal’s magic carpeting us right into the middle of London’s Mardi Gras: Camden Market. And unlike the hordes, we’ve got the key – we know where the market structures came from, why they’re there, what they were for. N.B. this walk is conducted in partnership with the Inland Waterways Association. It’ll be guided by a member of the Canal Guides team.
LONDON WALKS CANAL WALKS – THE PRACTICALS
Guided by members of the Inland Waterways Association.
This walk: The Regent’s Canal – King’s Cross – Granary Square – Camden Town takes placeat 2.30 pm on Sunday, May 21st and at 2.30 pm on Sunday, September 3rd.
The meeting point is King’s Cross Tube (meet by the taxi queue, next to Pret-a-Manger).
N.B. The “Latecomer’s Catch-up Stop” is on the Canal Towpath, at the York Way Bridge, immediately north of King’s Cross station. The walk ends near Camden Town Tube.
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, The Regent's Canal: King's Cross-Granary Square-Camden it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the The Regent's Canal: King's Cross-Granary Square-Camden walk – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. Ring Fiona or Noel or Mary on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you. A private London Walk – they’re good value for an individual or couple and sensational value for a group – makes an ideal group or educational or birthday party or office (team-building) or club outing.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS
A private London Walk makes a fab gift – be it a birthday or anniversary or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.
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