Places of interest near London's Canals
Derry & Tom's Roof Gardens
A bus trip from Little Venice is the best way to get here. Many boaters moored at Little Venice make the mistake of getting buses from Paddington, when the best stops are in fact at the bottom of Westbourne Bridge Road just a few minutes walk away! From here the 27 bus takes one to Bayswater, Notting Hill Gate and High Street Kensington. If one's boat is moored within the Paddington basin area it is however best to get the 27 from Praed Street or the Circle/District lines to High Street Kensington.
The Derry and Tom roof gardens as they are popularly known, are possibly the earliest such feature in the UK. They were opened in 1938 and located at the top of the Derry and Toms store.
An inconspicious entrance in Derry Street, just of High Street Kensington, leads to the roof top gardens. They are normally open to the public unless private functions are being held.
Other attractions in the area include Holland Park and Kensington Gardens/Kensington Palace. A pleasant walk back to Little Venice/Paddington can be easily undertaken by a route through Kensington Gardens (perhaps including a visit to the famous palace or the Serpentine Gallery.) Head for the Italian Gardens on the north side of the park. This leads to Lancaster Gate. Cross Bayswater and head for Sussex Street. At the roundabout here one can head for either Little Venice (via Westbourne Terrace) or Paddington Basin (via Spring Street, Praed Street and London Street.)
Early postcards featuring the roof top gardens: Above Spanish Gardens; Below Tudor Gardens
A 2012 view of the Spanish Gardens
The flamingoes are without a doubt the roof gardens' star attraction
The tudor arches
A stream complete with overbridges runs the full length of the roof gardens
Around Little Venice & Paddington: History and transport systems / Canute's 'Canal': The mythological waterway that wasnt / Croydon Canal: London's shortest-lived waterway, closing completely by 1837 / Cumberland Arm: A branch off the Regents Canal to Euston / Fleet River & Canal: The former Thames - Kings Cross waterway / Grand Surrey: The canal with an ambition to reach Portsmouth! / Grosvenor Canal: The Grosvenor linked Victoria to the Thames / Hertford Union Canal: A short cut with a nice flight of locks between the Regents Canal and the Lee Navigation alongside Victoria Park / Isle of Dogs (City) Canal: The Isle of dogs canal, where Canary Wharf now stands / Kensington Canal: The canal that became a railway and an underground route / Limehouse Cut & the Lee Navigation: The 28 mile route from London to Hertford / London's Canal Tunnels: There are three canal tunnels in London / McMurray's Canal: Wandsworths long forgotten waterway / Paddington Arm: The Grand Junction/Grand Union from Bulls Bridge to London / Pudding Mill River: Requiem for London's lost waterway / Regents Canal: This runs between Little Venice, Camden Town & Limehouse / Romford Canal: The penultimate, yet unfinished, canal to be built in London / Ruislip Feeder: The former waterway that fed the canal / Surrey Iron Railway: The route of the world's first public railway / Woolwich's secret waterway: The Royal Arsenal Canal
London Canals Outside: 1) Wendover Arm 2) Slough Arm 3) River Chess/Salter's Cut
Attractions near the London canals: Abbey Road / Bayswater / Crockers Folly / Derry and Toms / Edgware Road / Marylebone Goods / Nash Villas / Spitfire Works / St Pancras
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