Little Venice – Houseboats & Regent’s Canal

Craig’s review… Little Venice is up past Paddington, about two minutes from the Edgware Flyover. When you’re coming out of Paddington station and making your way under the thundering road the first thought that enters your head will not be the Italian city of Venice – you can trust me on this. Paddington is 95% concrete and 5% bin bags. Happily by the time you reach Warwick Avenue it starts to quiet down and pretty up considerably. That’s where Little Venice really begins.

Houseboats in Maida Avenue

The prettiest stretch is by Blomfield Road and Maida Avenue (two roads that run either side of the same canal). This is the picture postcard place that everyone comes to see. You probably won’t believe that it’s as twee as this, but here are some of the things I’m seeing this morning: piles of chopped logs and fairy lights wound around the railings, rainbow coloured water-cans with flowers poking out the spout, and wind chimes tinkling in the spindly winter trees.

I’ve just had a quick little look inside one of the portholes and seen a collection of pottery frogs on a fridge – that is a perfect example of what this place is all about. It’s the kind of place where people leave out saucers of milk for the robins. Everyone seems to have a pushbike with a bell on it.

I can see one guy sitting on an upturned plant pot whilst he tightens up his shoelaces. It’s that kind of place – nice and relaxed. Every day is a Sunday. Everybody has breakfast at eleven in the morning and says hello to their neighbours. That is Maida Avenue.

Jason’s Trip & Camden Waterbus

But then you cross over the bridge and everything turns into concrete. (I’m talking about the junction between Warwick Avenue and Westbourne Terrace, where the two canals meet.) This is where you can catch a canal bus up to Camden. The most popular one is Jason’s Canal Trip (check out my separate review because it’s well-worth a try), but there’s also a cheapo waterbus on the opposite side if you prefer. Or you can grab a cup of tea from the little houseboat cafe.

Don’t bother walking any further into Delamere Terrace. The ornate blue bridge might look inviting but the overgrown towpaths don’t have plant pots and petals over there – they have old Coke cans, cigarette ends and stooping, drooping trees that trail their wooden fingers in the water. They have weeds instead of flowers. A punctured football instead of a swan.

The boat owners down Maida Avenue put country knick-knacks on top of their houseboats whereas these people just use them as a dumping ground for giant blue tarpaulins and empty Calor Gas bottles.

Maida Avenue is still very nice though, and definitely worth a visit.

Worth a visit? ★★☆Value for money? n/aGood for kids? ★☆☆Easy to get to? ★★★

I also recommend… If you enjoy this then try Jason’s Trip (you can walk there in less than 1 min). If you fancy an afternoon stroll then try our self-guided walk down the Regent’s Canal

The author Craig Cross owns city-guide.london and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon