Little Venice to Broadway Market along the Regent's Canal.

4 Hours one way trip, 6 miles each way, 7 locks

The following is for information about the canal only, as we not currently offering cruises beyond Camden.

The trip from Little Venice to Broadway Market in Hackney takes you to one of our favourite places in London. It is however the limit of our normal operations area, although we can go even further this requires a lot of planning due to the time not just of getting there but also getting back home to our home base in Little Venice.

For the first three hours of this cruise we will follow the Little Venice to Angel route, passing through Maida Vale, Lisson Grove, Regents Park, London Zoo, Primrose Hill, Camden, Kentish Town, Kings Cross, Islington Tunnel and City Road.

After The Narrowboat pub at Angel we are on the verge of the most exciting area in London for many – that’s the very much up and coming areas of Hoxton and Haggerston as well as Shoreditch, all of which claim a position alonside the Regent’s Canal. We first pass the Eagle Wharf, old canalside studios and housing The Commissary, canalside bar and eatery. Property developers have had their eye on Eagle Wharf for many years and most fortunately it has managed to avoid all attempts at takeover, which hopefully will remain the case for ever as this little collection of low rise studios and lovely old Regent’s Canal barges moored outside makes it absolutely unique.

Sturts Lock follows, the deepest on the canal. Below this we pass Gainsborough Studios and the new waterside developments at Hoxton Wharf and then onwards towards Haggerston Road which now has a great choice of small coffee bars, restaurants, galleries and all sorts of interesting places in the place of rather the rather dingy atmosphere of only a few years ago. A hugely improved area!

After Haggerston and Kingsland Road we have recently lost many landmarks due to the ever present property developers and the surroundings continue to be transformed. Here we have more new moorings for those without a place to call home, new rings being supplied by the National Grid after someone managed, in 2014, to hammer a mooring pin through the side of the towpath into the 400 kilovolt electricity cable which runs the whole length of the Regent’s Canal.

So we are now nearly at Acton’s Lock, the last on our journey and another deep one.

We will moor Lady A just below Acton’s Lock from where you take the towpath to the road above and enter the relatively unknown world of Broadway Market. For a start this street has some of London’s finest independent cafes and restaurants, and useful things for boaters such as launderette and general hardware shops. If you come here on Saturdays then the whole street called Broadway Market becomes Broadway Market for the day – lined with some of the best street food in London as many of the stall holders come from the much more famous Borough Market.

You can even find a genuine London Pie, Eel and Mash shop here, selling of course that delicacy of jellied eels. F Cooke Hot Jellied Eels Shop Not everyone’s idea of a fine dining but this is a real step back in time. You simply shouldn’t miss it! I’m not a great fan of eels, but get a massive portion of pie, mash and bright green liquor followed by a fruit pie and custard, washed down with tea all for a few quid – how can this be bad!!

Its also a short walk from here to dozens of really good bars and restaurants in the side streets leading to Mare Street, where those interested in the wonderful world of Vietnamese cooking will find the closest thing to Hanoi. You don’t even have to go there for Vietnamese Coffee – try it on Saturdays at Broadway Market at another one of my favourites, Ca Phe Vn.

The one way trip from Little Venice to Broadway Market (or vice versa) is specially priced and you’re on the boat for four hours, starting at Little Venice and ending at Broadway Market or starting at Broadway Market and ending in Little Venice. If you want to end your boat trip in the most memorable location off the beaten track then this is the one for you. Difficult to reach by tube, this area is served by London Fields station from Liverpool Street or by local bus to Hackney Central for the London Overground. I told it you it was off the beaten track!!

You’ll need to call me on 07899 800856 before booking this trip as with it being 4 hours one way trip, it takes a large part of our day.  This trip is not normally available at weekends due to congestion in the canal.