Cycling Canals in London

We had gorgeous weather Saturday and Sunday but Monday was a mix of rain, wind and sun which actually reminded me of Seattle. Nonetheless, I decided to explore the canals through London. I started off by cycling from Harrow to Alperton and hopping on the Grand Union Canal towards Paddington. It was a pleasant ride along the water, with only a few boat homes. It was quiet and I saw swans, mallards, Canadian geese and some heron. The path was paved in most places since it was next to a canal it was very flat.
There is great contrast along the canals. In some places the water was filled with rubbish and oil and moored boat homes with all sorts of things tied to them with personal gardens and junk piles close by-creating more of a trailer park atmosphere. In other areas, like Little Venice, each boat was immaculate, cafes were nearby and the water was clean with carefully maintained plants on the side. While cycling alone the canals I also saw skate parks, industrial and commercial areas, schools, and markets.




It took 35 minutes to get from Alperton to Little Venice and from there I took Regent’s Canal towards the River Thames. After about 20 minutes I arrived at the Camden Lochs. I really like Camden Town. There is a great market and square with loads of character. It is the main highlight of the journey on the canals in my opinion. After that point, there is nothing really worth noting, besides feeling the accomplishment of reaching the River Thames at Limehouse Basin 50 minutes later. Regents Canal has a more narrow path than the pre-Little Venice branch, in addition to having more people crowding the road way. Also at at least four points I needed to explore on the roads to reconnect to the canal. Every couple minutes you needed to duck under a bridge to stay on the path but by in large the canal is accessible. It was nice to not be pressed for time, to be able to stop on the way and see different places and see new areas. I hope to use the canals more as a scenic entrance into central London than the roads, though they are a bit slower. There are still more areas to explore and though they don’t compare to Venice or Belgium’s canals, I think I’ll still enjoy them. Hopefully I can bring some friends along next time.