Camden to Hackney Marsh

Today's Canals : Paddington Branch, Regents Canal, Hertford Union and Lee Navigation.

We awoke to a wonderfully sunny day which remained that way right through to the evening. At times it was as hot as a summer's day.

Before casting off, Mike went to buy a newspaper and then decided to take a closer look at the huge church alongside where we moored. Although we have seen it before when passing we have not thus far found out anything about it. However, an information panel beside the towpath set out some of the history, enough to whet the appetite for a closer look.

St Mary Magdalene

It was built in the 1870's in the then fashionable Anglo-Catholic gothic style. It was in a very poor area - at the time there was a row of houses between the church and the towpath!

In the 1950's, the area was considered to be about the worst of the London slums and wholesale clearance took place. The Westway was also built in the 1970's and the patch used as a site headquarters and materials store, and after the work was finished it was turned into a great open space.

Inside the church, Mike chatted to the vicar, Henry Everett - it turned out that by coincidence he had at one time served at St Mellion in Cornwall and knew well a friend of ours who was Rural Dean at the time. He took some time to give Mike a detailed run down of the architecture and history.

There never were any pews because at the time there was a reaction - pews were seen to be a symbol of how rich people treated church and this one was designed with the poverty of the local area in mind. Its grandeur is based on the notion that poor people deserved the best that could be afforded.

The first significant changes to the building were created by Ninian Comper, an architect who also worked on Little Petherick near Padstow in Cornwall!

In the 1920's there was some re-modelling in a baroque style by Martin Travers who, amongst other chages, added a marble balustrade at the chancel steps, reminicent of a similar device that was in Egloshayle Church at one time. Henru Everett was also familiar with this church, Small world.

Little Venice

We set off in good time but had a brief service stop after just 300 metres! We passed through the wide open junction - a CaRT rubbish collector looks as if it has been busy - not this time going down to Paddington Basin, but straight on towards Regents Park. Just after Maida Hill Tunnel we spotted this sign on the tall wall along one side of the canal.

Private Gardens

As we passed though the Regents Park stretch we noted particularly this time the private gardens - seemingly shared by the residents of the adjoining apartments.

Macclesfield Road Bridge

Macclesfield Road Bridge is also known as Gunpowder or Blow-Up bridge after an eponymous accident many years ago. It was then re-built with splendid columns - at the top is an interesting detail.

Snowden Aviary

This time we managed a good photo of the Snowden Aviary - at least it is large enough for the larger birds to be able to fly around.

Next came Camden Market and the locks which are often almost overwhelmed with onlookers. Today, we were early enough to miss most and only some of the stalls had yet opened up.

At the next bridge there is an interesting Cornerstone - in those days Churchwardens had real responsibilities!

After a couple of locks the water was generally free of the plastic which dominated the main level pound from Bulls Bridge to Little Venice. Although no-one seems to know where it has come from, it does all point to a single source and not to a worsening of litter problems.

Gasholder No 8 & St Pancras Lock

Just above St Pancras lock now stands the refurbished Gasholder No 8, which was originally located on the opposite side of the canal, close to Kings Cross Station. It is a listed structure and has just been re-assembled after being dismantled and taken to Yorkshire for the work on it. It is a Grade II listed structure and will eventually have an open public space in the middle - this will no doubt be welcome to the residents of the new blocks of flats under construction all around.

After passing through Islington Tunnel we were joined in the next lock by another boat with a small party of school children who were delighted to by able to help operate the lock.

By now we were beginning to see the effects of the new winter mooring arrangements. Almost every available space - and a few more besides - was occupied by boats generally two abreast, even three in places. Whilst it is good to see CaRT experimenting with new schemes to relieve some of the pressures on moorings, we were left wondering how easy it will be to persuade all of these boats that they now must move on and not to try and stay in the area through the summer. There just will be no room at all for visitors.

Almost the only space that we saw all morning came just before Actons Lock and we took the opportunity to have a long lunch break. However, it was not until very much later, after the end of the Hertford Union Cut that we saw another.

Never did work out the meaning of these colourful mushrooms!

At the last lock we went through on the Regents Canal there were two very cheerful voluntary lock keepers on duty - not that they had been too busy today. They had expected more boats to be on the move - being now April and a warm sunny day.

Old Ford Junction

Below Old Ford Lock we turned at the junction on the Hertford Union, or Ducketts Cut which is a shorter route than going around by Limehouse. We may well do that on the way back but we have never been on this short stretch before so needed to add it to our tally!

Hertford Union Bottom Lock

The last of the three Hertford Union locks is quite shallow and the adjoining wall seems to have been heaven to all the local graffiti artists.

Olympic Stadium

At the end of the Hertford Union we had a brief glimpse of the Olympic Stadium before turning to head northwards. We should have a better view on the way back.

Johnstone Boat-House

The inscription on this otherwise anonymous looking building reads, "AD 1934 Johnstone Boat-House EMRC Presented to the Eton Mission Rowing Club by their President Honble Gilbert Johnstone in memory of his Etonion Wet-Bob Brothers Frances Lord Derwent (Eton 1864-1869) Honble Cecil (1869-1874) and Honble Sir alan Johnstone (1871-1877)"

Just a little further and we found a spot to moor alongside Hackney Marsh where stopped two years ago.

9.9 miles - 11 locks