Peaceful and picturesque, Regent’s Canal runs just north of central London and is just over eight and half miles long. It remains still a secret to many Londoners, but the walk along Regent’s Canal can be quite the escape from the hubbub of city life.
The Canal was designed and built by John Nash, and finally opened in 1820. Regent’s Canal joins the River Thames at Limehouse and the Grand Union Canal junction at Paddington, and runs through Hackney, Islington and Camden.
The walk offers a very unique perspective of London by taking you through some very different areas of London. Along the walk there is something for everyone: For nature lovers, flora and fauna is unrestricted and thriving; there is a wide range of styles of architecture and housing, and striking graffiti along the walls and bridges to demonstrate to the tourist the vibrant character of London; there is also plenty of opportunity to see extraordinary boats stationed all along the canal and for the average adventurers to go on a canal boat ride; along the route, there are several places to stop at for a whole host of food and drink; and there are, of course, killer views from the bridges for the enthusiastic photographer!
Homaira Malik, who walked along the canal side with me on a sunny afternoon, says: “Each step was riddled with peace…I was genuinely speechless for the duration of the walk.”
Amid the tranquillity of the walk, it is difficult to recall the commotion and chaos of the city just beyond the trail.
