Regent’s Canal

I love this little hidden Gem of London. It’s a canal path that runs through London with beautiful landscapes and some canal villages. You can also walk pass parts of London Zoo where you can see the Waterhogs and African Hunting Dogs in the summer.
In the summer it’s a great way to walk outside away from roads and traffic. There are joggers and bikers on the path so beware when you are walking to not walk into their way.

I came cycling here with a group of intrepid women on a mild New Year’s Eve.
I’ve been to Regent Canel before via foot, so cycling was a different experience. We came from North west London up until Cental London (Baker street/​Regents Park).
I like cycling on smooth terrin and passing pretty Canel boats and expensive houses and ducking under bridges and passing trees with no leaves. Passing London Zoo and feeling that it’s weird to see a Giraffe in the city. All in all I loved my winter cycle ride and can’t imagine how it will be in Summer– I know I’ll proberly have to get off my bicycle and walk part of the way because it will be busy but I will still see the beauty of it all.
Regent Canel thanks for giving me a splendid morning on the last day of 2015.

Great place for running, especially during the hour before sunset — you can get a wonderful view of the actual sunset whilst standing on the main bridge of the canals! I love how this part of London is still on the down low, so its never too crowded to walk through, run by or take many snaps of!

I wish there are more places like this in the metropolitan regions in the United States! When I was in London, I spent a couple of afternoons relaxing on the green, grassy steps by the canal. Being here helps remove yourself from the busy urban lifestyle.
You can bring food and drinks and enjoy the scenery. I see a lot of people running and biking along the canal! If I lived in London, this would definitely be my go-​to spot when I go for a jog!

As a student in London, I’m always on the lookout for free entertainment. Regent’s Canal has become one of my favorite money-​saving destinations for summer fun.
Despite being incredibly close to my house, I never realized that the tow path is a fantastic way to get around some parts of London, without having to deal with the noise or traffic of cars.
The canal is beautiful for a short stroll at any time of year, but in the summer the possibility opens up of spending a whole afternoon walking along and taking in nature and the fascinating people that occupy the tow path and houseboats on the canal.
When my partner was here visiting, we took a lovely romantic stroll and had a picnic. It was pretty picture perfect… but beware of cyclists who compete for space with hand-​holding couples along this walkway.

It’s a beautiful place to be when the weather is sunny & warm. I walk along the canal to see the daily activities of paddle boating, school field trips, picnics & cook outs. If you’re in a reflective mind set, the canal waters create a soothing reassurance.
There are also eateries & snack bars located on the boats. It’s amazing how people live on the canal boats year round. I also understand that a boat can stay docked in one place for up to 2 weeks on the canal. So if you happen to not like your neighbours, you can move in 2 weeks…

What’s not to love about Regent’s Canal? It’s the perfect thing to do when you’re skint — just a free walk along the canal with friends.
It’s a great way to explore London. I take my international friends along the canal and end in Camden Lock Market — they all love it. Sometimes we stop off in Dalston or Angel for a quick beer or coffee.
My only pet peeve is that the canal is not wide enough. I like to walk and cycle — I wish the canal could accommodate both by being wider. Someone is always in someone’s way, especially on those lovely warm/​hot London days.

A lovely walk from Warwick Avenue on the Bakerloo Line, to Camden Town market, for anyone who wants to experience a London treasure.
The best things in life are free.

One of my favourite locations in London. I’m fortunate to live really close to the canal on the Islington side and work in Canary Wharf therefore I use the canal to cycle to work every day and on the weekends I run along the canal to Victoria Park — so basically I’m on the canal almost every day.
It’s a great local spot — you only see loads of tourists if you’re up near the Angel part of the canal or the Broadway Market /​London Fields section of the canal on a Weekend (particularly on a Saturday for Broadway Market and Sunday for Columbia Road Flower Market). The Haggerston section is getting regentrified with several bars and cafes sprouting up — gets very busy on a weekend. However, once you get past Victoria Park heading East, it’s relatively quiet usually.
I mentioned I cycle on this path every day. Mornings and evenings. In the Winter months it can get dangerous for a couple reasons — firstly there are parts of the canal which aren’t paved with cement, rather, laid bricks which are very slippery. I’ve seen people slip and fall running and wipe out on their bikes. Worse — I’ve seen people fall into the canal (gross) more than once so watch out! Secondly, the canal is very dark with no lights. I have a super bright bike light to mitigate this but it does get a bit dodgy in some parts, in particular by Mile End/​Limehouse… there is a pub under the Mile End bridge that has picnic tables near the canal… there are often groups of chavs ready to cause trouble so watch out at night.
It’s totally worth checking out. Best part of the canal is it’s peacefulness on early mornings… and NO CARS! Great place for a run or bike ride — just watch out at night and don’t fall in!

Ok, so it ain’t Amsterdam, but Regent’s Canal is a really nice place to take a stroll — during daylight hours because THERE IS NO LIGHT in the evening. Eek… scarrry! But being that there is no light means really no homeless. We saw one, but that is because it was near a building with flood lights going (so no lighting, no homeless — Not anything against them per se but I don’t like bodily secretions on the sidewalk nor the accompanying odors or trash that homeless tend to leave around.) It is surprisingly mainly trash free though some thoughtless people throw it into the canal… The nerve! Perhaps not good for smaller children as there is no railing to the canal. But it is quite amazing to think that you are in the middle of London and yet feel like you are much further away. I didn’t like that portions of the sidewalk get flooded, leaving giant puddles you have to constantly walk around but whatever. There are even a few friendly kitties by the house boats that are just adorable. A cool, different way to get to know the city.

I absolutely love walks or bike rides down the Regent’s canal! You feel rather like in the Netherlands than in London! When the weather is nice, it’s just wonderful! There are many nice cozy pubs along the canal. It’s also interesting to watch other people and interesting graffitis on the walls.

I really like the Regent’s Canal. There are two bits to enjoy — a stretch running from Kings Cross up towards Camden Lock and another stretch running from Angel to Limehouse. I am more likely to be found walking from Angel down towards Haggerston and beyond. There is something immediately relaxing about a stroll along the canal. Is it my imagination or does London become quieter and more peaceful as soon as you have a handrail of water next to you?
While it would be nice to wander along the Regent’s Canal if it was just a canal, what makes it extra special is that there are a cluster of watering holes (especially the Towpath and the Waterline) which provide a row good pitstops to break up the walk and grab a bite to eat while contemplating life.
Only downside, is that the towpath can get a bit crowded at weekends meaning that walkers, runners and cyclists sometimes don’t mix as easily as at other times. Maybe everyone should show a bit more consideration for everyone else on the narrower stretches — there is enough canal for everyone to enjoy!

We really enjoyed this bucolic area snugly hidden away quite near one of London’s most bustling areas, King’s Cross station. It’s an amazing testament to such a great city as London, that spaces like this are so actively preserved, with a caring sense of civic duty, obviously. It has a little wildlife preserve and a school, apparently. Another of our magical finds on our walk through central London and Camden Town. London has it all!

Whether I’m headed to Broadway Market or Camden Market, Regent’s Canal is often my path and my trainers are often my mode of transportation. Getting an early morning run in along the canal is an absolutely ideal way to start the day… although you should be prepared to view in full glory how people enjoyed their night before.
Be warned: The dodge-​bike situation is *real* folks, and trust me, getting picked last is way worse in this case than I assume it was in elementary school. Get out there early or you’ll see for yourself what I mean. The amount of ironic mustaches you’ll see along the tow path is also a bit out of control.
At least you don’t have to deal with hordes of meandering tourists. I’ll take meandering hipsters over meandering tourists most days.

I want to live on a boat. I want to live on a boat so badly that I have a flat less than 100 yards from the canal. It’s an ancient highway that was once the back bone of London’s industry. Now it’s a pleasure of the people of this city to enjoy.
As London has become bike infested. It’s now a cycle route for many, pushing the idle stroller to one side. It’s plain cheeky, the walking folk have right of way. This is my only gripe with the canal, the lycra clad knobs speeding along here. Canal way of live is free and relaxed and happy. No need for your speedy bikes to spoil it. That is why I’m knocking a star off. Apart from that this has to be one of the best ways to spend a weekend: A walk along the canal. In Spring you’ll see the ducklings, in Summer there will be blossom, in Autumn there will be leaves scatted on the water and Winter the freeze spreads to the ice.

I love grabbing some food from broadway market, taking it down to the lock and sitting in the sun eating my delicious food. And even when it’s not summer the canal is an almost perfect walk from Hackney to Angel and further if you have the energy.
Where it loses it’s one star is not down to the canal itself but to some of the people who use it. Some of the areas are strewn with beer cans and trolleys from those who don’t respect their environment. Secondly the psycho cyclists: The paths below the bridges are very small and tight and too many cyclists refuse to slow down or get off their bikes when confronted with people walking through. It is worst during rush hour as this becomes the Canary Wharf cycle super highway.

I love walking down regents canal! I always start at Little Venice and then walk towards Camden Lock.
You get a chance to view all the lovely mansions, the lovely boats that go passing by, lots of greenery, small bridges and a sneak peek of the London Zoo :)
It is a pretty long canal so please try not to go on a rainy day!

I run the stretch from Wharf Road (by the Narrow Boat) to Victoria Park.
What I love about the tow path:
–It’s really pretty! Water-​view (granted there is tons of trash and potentially dead bodies in there), all of the ecclectic canal boats, ducks, geese and swans.
–It’s flat
–You get to beautiful Victoria Park which is a gem
What I hate about the tow path
— DOG POOP! Come on people! Pick it up!
— Playing dodge bike – you need to share the narrow path with 2 way bike traffic. There are no lanes and it is not clear who should be on the right and who should be on the left
–Tunnel traffic. You need to go under bridges that can only handle one at a time… you lose your momentum.
–Hard hard hard cement!
It is still the best and most convenient running route for me and nothing better than a crisp day and the sun glittering on the water…

Regent’s Canal makes you realize that just about every European city was traffic-​ed by boats way back in the day… Believe it or not the canal still functions, and runs all the way east right past Victoria’s park and through mile end, and all the way west and along Regents Park, and much much further…
Along the canal there are a few pubs and restaurants, but mostly it is a foot path. Many cyclists ride it too, and don’t much like to give way to each other. Despite that, no one ended up in the canal at least while I was there. The sections that run under the overpass bridges are really narrow, requiring that you almost duck a bit to walk. Imagine that with a bicycle barreling down on you!
I recall going to a pub in Islington (near Angle tube station) with some friends. I mentioned that I knew this neighborhood haven’t earlier that day jogged the canal from Mile End. They just sat their kinda with their jaws dropped open… «wait, I thought you were on vacation…»
Who said you can’t go for a jog on vacation?

There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats, says Ratty in The Wind in the Willows. Was Kenneth Grahame right in his assessment? Well maybe not in my case as I get a little seasick however if you want to escape the crowds for a while and see one of London’s hidden gems, make your way to the aquatic oasis that is Little Venice. Located in Maida Vale, at the junction of the Regents Canal and the Grand Union Canal, it’s the perfect place for a coffee and a leisurely stroll. A paved tow-​path runs from Little Venice all the way to Camden Lock and the famous Camden Markets.
From there, meander behind St Pancras station, popping into the London Canal Museum if you fancy? Continuing eastwards beyond the Islington tunnel and passing many notable landmarks including The Rosemary Branch theatre, it then forms the southern end of Broadway Market and then meets the Hertford Union Canal by Victoria Park, after which it turns south towards the Limehouse Basin, where today it also meets the Limehouse Cut. At this point the canal ends as it joins the River Thames.
It is free to walk along the canals, a return canal boat trip will set you back about £7.50. I’ve certainly got the Wind in my Willows for this adventure!

Regent’s Canal runs from Limehouse (across from Greenwich) through Shoreditch, Angel, Camden, Regent’s Park, and on and on. I’ve never gone the full distance.
For the first couple of years I lived in Angel, I was aware of the canal from visits to Camden Market but we didn’t have much to do with each other. I didn’t really use the canal until future hubby moved in and introduced me to them (he’s really into things like that).
The two entrances at Angel are not easy to find. You wouldn’t normally see them just hanging around the neighborhood unless you happen to live on the canal or spend a lot of time right around it.
To the east the entrance is near Vincent Terrace and Danbury St. To the west the entrance is near Muriel St and Carnegie St.
After I found out about it I started to use it all the time. For weekend runs, for walking to Camden or Regent’s Park, riding bikes out to Greenwich. It’s pretty quiet and peaceful. Though on weekends it’s very popular for families to come out for walks.
You do have to be careful in some places. Nothing dangerous but the canal does attract sleazy people. At Angel I was chatted up while stretching by a male prostitute who insisted on giving me a very explicit flyer. At Shoreditch there was a teenager masturbating behind a bridge (this was in broad daylight on Sunday with other people about). Hubby has been hit by water balloons on his bike (chavs of course). Not great incidents. But that’s all in 2 years of hours a week on the canal. Just remember that in an urban environment it will attract the usual riff raff at times.
There are some nice things as well, ducks, kayakers, fishermen, urban scenery.
It is not well lit at night. No street lamps or anything like that. Only ambient light from streets. I would definitely not recommend coming here when it’s dark.
For more detailed info:

There is something really romantic about Regents canal. I think it’s beauty lies in it’s murky and gritty nature. I’m not saying that it is really dirty, well actually it probably is, I just like the way the pathways are not particularly well manicured, and the water is not crystal clear.
If you come to the canal at the end of Broadway Market, you can either go left to Victoria park, or right towards Islington. Both walks are really amazing. The walk up to Islington is probably my favourite, as you can really witness the changing of areas along the way. Pay attention, and always be listening out for the abundance of cyclists who ring their bells.