Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Little Venice

By Martin Johnson


Tucked away in North West London, where the Grand Union Canal meets the Regent's Canal, there's a pretty place known affectionately as Little Venice. Located just north of Paddington Station, the area is mostly made up of W2 and W9 postcodes. Getting to Little Venice is easy as Warwick Avenue tube station is right in the middle. This underground station famously features in a song by Duffy that was released in 2008.

You'll find the leafy streets of Little Venice are lined with stuccoed houses which are rather grand looking from the outside. There are also Victorian mansion houses and Edwardian red brick buildings. Canal boats line the waterways here, some are tied up two and three deep, but they are all different sizes, colours and designs.

Before the canals were built in 1801 this area of London was not very pretty. As the canals gained importance and roads were built around it, houses began to appear along the waterside. The Church Commissioners owned a large number of the properties, but the place was still run down and dirty until the 1950s.

After the Second World War, which saw so much destruction in London, this district was updated and slowly became the popular place it is now. Some of the splendid Italianate houses that used to be there have been lost, along with a number of Georgian terraces. The area behind Browning's Pool, which is a very wide section of the canal, has changed meaning there is less water there now. This goes unnoticed by most people, though, as there is still a lovely feeling of open space.

There are plenty of reasons to visit this area, even though it's slightly off the tourist map. You can enjoy long walks along the canal tow paths which stretch to Regents' Park and Camden. Along the way you can feed the swans and geese and take time to sit and watch the local residents. You can get onboard a boat trip from right here into London Zoo if that takes your fancy.

There are some great eateries along the waterfront, from casual caf'es to fine restaurants. There are bars and pubs dotted around here too. If you have children to entertain, nowhere is better than the Puppet Theatre Barge. Comedy lovers will enjoy the Canal Caf'e Theatre that's a little further along.

If you're after some retail therapy then you might be a little disappointed. There are some smaller, one-off shops here with individual styles which are lovely to visit. If you're looking for something larger, or if you crave the better-known chain stores, then a walk to Edgware Road will take you to the kind of shops you want. Six stops on the tube will also take you into Oxford Circus which offers every shop known to man.

The canals are the dominant feature of Little Venice and the water gives this part of London its individual look and feel. It is a beautiful part of the city, loved by its residents and visitors alike. The prices of the houses are rising along with district's popularity.




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