North London's Little Venice

By Martin Johnson


There's a lovely, picturesque area in North West London known as Little Venice. You'll find it where the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal joins the Regent's Canal and the postcodes are W2 and W9. To get there hop on the Bakerloo Line and get off one stop after Paddington Station at Warwick Avenue. This tube station was made famous by the song of the same name sung by Duffy in 2008.

Stuccoed period houses, Victorian mansions and Edwardian buildings can be found on the wide, tree-lined streets of Little Venice. There is a great feeling of space here and there are some impressive secret gardens. The canals have many house boats moored along the banks, decorated in bright colours with tubs of flowers on the roofs. There is a diverse population living in this part of London making it an interesting and vibrant part of London.

Historically, this area wasn't as attractive as it now appears. Before the canal was made in 1801, Paddington was just a little village on the outskirts of London. Houses began to spring up along the new waterways. The Church Commissioners owned many of them, but it was scruffy and dirty. As the canals became more important roads were laid and some more wealthier people moved in.

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.

Tourism doesn't play a big part in Little Venice, but there are plenty of reasons for visitors to spend time here. The canals have long walkways beside them and these are popular with families, couples and dog walkers. There are swans, ducks and geese to watch and feed along the way. It's possible to walk to Regent's Park and London Zoo if you follow the tow path. There is a regular boat service which can be caught here too.

Along the water are some small caf'es and bars which are lovely places to spend an evening. The Waterside Caf'e and the Warwick Castle Pub are two of the best-known spots to go to. There is also the Canal Caf'e Theatre which is a small venue specialising in comedy. The children also have a Puppet Theatre barge.

Shopping in Little Venice is limited to small, boutique-style shops. There aren't many high-street brands to be found just here. With Paddington close by, and the centre of London only two miles away, every kind of shop ever needed is available not too far away.

The area known as Little Venice is very pretty and close to all the city of London has to offer. Tourism hasn't reached here in big way so it remains a secret for the locals to keep. As it is a very desirable place to live for families, individuals and couples, the price of property has gone up considerably.




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