London Canal Museum

15/07/2021

Today we are tunnelling under Islington. Will the houses survive the process?

13/07/2021

After a break of over a year, Teddy is waiting excitedly for his boat ride with children from Winton Primary School.

01/07/2021

July Illustrated Talk: Saving the Stratford

Saving the Stratford Canal by Dr. Roger Squires. One of the early IWA campaigns was to get
the northern Stratford Canal reopened. Tom Rolt led the charge. A second was to get the southerm Stratford Canal restored. David Hutchins was the leading light, with Robert Aickman providing the political contacts and smoothing the way. This talk details both restoration campaigns.

28/06/2021

A new projector creates a shimmering water effect under the bridge on our ground floor. Don't fall in!

15/06/2021

Online talk by Hackney History: Carolyn Clark's 'The East End Canal Tales'

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-talk-by-hackney-history-carolyn-clarks-the-east-end-canal-tales-tickets-153614004623?keep_tld=1

Join us for an online talk by Carolyn Clark about canal industries & trades, and life by the Cut in Hackney and East End over 200 years

06/06/2021

Limehouse Basin, Tower Hamlets, London. Construction of the expanded Limehouse Basin in May 1869. Photographic print by Lucas and Tuck showing details of the work. Excavating a trench so that the line of sailing ships on the right will soon be moored against the new basin edge, shown on the left

05/06/2021

Raymond, the last Wooden Narrowboat

This month's talk by Friends of Raymond presenters Nick and Chris is now available to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xfD4DzS_UG0

Illustrated talk online by Nick Lake and Chris Jones of the Friends of Raymond, given on 3rd June 2021 as the London Canal Museum's "first Thursday" talk. Th...

04/06/2021

New in the museum shop, at £6.95, long-lasting enamel mugs to grace your galley (or kitchen!)

New in the museum shop, at £6.95, long-lasting enamel mugs to grace your galley (or kitchen!)

03/06/2021

Tonight, 7.30 PM, this month's illustrated talk is about Raymond, the last wooden working narrowboat, restored for preservation as a living piece of history and still cruising the canals. Nick and Chris of the Friends of Raymond are doing a double act tonight for the talk, it is free to attend online and you can register by going to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9IIjgqh1QcClsNx1buR-NQ or just go to canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson and click on the link on that page.

Just to add a reminder, the museum is open Fridays Saturdays and Sundays until further notice, 1000 to 1630.

Tonight, 7.30 PM, this month's illustrated talk is about Raymond, the last wooden working narrowboat, restored for preservation as a living piece of history and still cruising the canals. Nick and Chris of the Friends of Raymond are doing a double act tonight for the talk, it is free to attend online and you can register by going to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9IIjgqh1QcClsNx1buR-NQ or just go to canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson and click on the link on that page.

Just to add a reminder, the museum is open Fridays Saturdays and Sundays until further notice, 1000 to 1630.

31/05/2021

Yesterday we had a visit from the Wide Beam Hotel Boat 'Tranquil Rose' :-)

Yesterday we had a visit from the Wide Beam Hotel Boat 'Tranquil Rose' :-)

31/05/2021

It's bank holiday, the sun is shining, we are open until 1630. Nice day to walk the canal and visit the museum

It's bank holiday, the sun is shining, we are open until 1630. Nice day to walk the canal and visit the museum

28/05/2021

This weekend, including Monday, kids get s free takeaway activity, make a shiny picture frame!

This weekend, including Monday, kids get s free takeaway activity, make a shiny picture frame!

27/05/2021

Our Coronis boaters have acquired a few extra home comforts recently. A new mattress and pillows will make sleeping easier and there are now plates and mugs, too!

Our Coronis boaters have acquired a few extra home comforts recently. A new mattress and pillows will make sleeping easier and there are now plates and mugs, too!

20/05/2021

We are adding some family-friendly steps for our smaller visitors..... Open Friday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays from now on.

We are adding some family-friendly steps for our smaller visitors..... Open Friday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays from now on.

20/05/2021

After months the model lock is working again! We had a long delay getting spare parts specially made during lockdown. We re-open Fridays to Sundays plus bank holiday Monday, from tomorrow.

After months the model lock is working again! We had a long delay getting spare parts specially made during lockdown. We re-open Fridays to Sundays plus bank holiday Monday, from tomorrow.

18/05/2021

Step up!
Our smaller visitors will now be able to use the new steps around the museum to view some of our exhibits when we reopen on Friday 🙂

Step up!
Our smaller visitors will now be able to use the new steps around the museum to view some of our exhibits when we reopen on Friday 🙂

13/05/2021

The museum will re-open on Friday 21st May and will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus bank holiday Mondays.

We aim to increase the days of opening as soon as possible. At present not enough of our volunteers are available to enable the full six-day opening to be resumed.

We look forward to seeing you once again!

The museum will re-open on Friday 21st May and will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus bank holiday Mondays.

We aim to increase the days of opening as soon as possible. At present not enough of our volunteers are available to enable the full six-day opening to be resumed.

We look forward to seeing you once again!

09/05/2021

Meet our new acquisition! As part of our family activity plan we commissioned blacksmith Mark Harding Blacksmith to make these beautiful 2/3 scale ice dogs to form part of a hands-on trail around the museum.

Meet our new acquisition! As part of our family activity plan we commissioned blacksmith Mark Harding Blacksmith to make these beautiful 2/3 scale ice dogs to form part of a hands-on trail around the museum.

06/05/2021

Illustrated Talk - May. Waterway Park for All

Waterway Park for All - the Bedford to Milton Keynes Link by Steve Ashley. The idea of linking the Grand Union Canal, by a new 'cut', to the Great Ouse at Bedford has long been mooted. Steve explains how this project now might be achieved and details the local groups' plans to bring this about.

03/05/2021

Thursday 6th May at 1930, our monthly illustrated talk is on the Milton Keynes to Bedford waterway link plan. Could this lake be part of a new route? Go to www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson to register, it is free on Zoom.

Thursday 6th May at 1930, our monthly illustrated talk is on the Milton Keynes to Bedford waterway link plan. Could this lake be part of a new route? Go to www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson to register, it is free on Zoom.

08/04/2021

BBC One - Countryfile, Canals

BBC One - Countryfile, Canals

Tom Heap and Margherita Taylor look at the impact of canals on our countryside.

03/04/2021

Came across a different ice house whilst out walking in Oxfordshire, this one is thatched! https://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/rycote-ice-house/

Came across a different ice house whilst out walking in Oxfordshire, this one is thatched! https://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/projects/rycote-ice-house/

01/04/2021

Illustrated talk - April 2021

Richard Thomas on The Manchester Ship Canal

01/04/2021

Here are a few more pictures of the Manchester Ship Canal taken in 2017 from the deck of the wondeful The Danny - Daniel Adamson a 1903 steamship with a unique story to remind you that tonight's talk by Richard Thomas is on the Manchester Ship Canal. The talk will also be live on this London Canal Museum page. Get the Zoom link by going to https://canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson

26/03/2021

This news cutting, probably dating from the 1950s, has been acquired recently. The girder was made in London and transported by rail from Marylebone. It is destined for the Grand Union Canal at New Cross. Your immediate thought might be that New Cross is on the Croydon canal. However we think this might have been destined for somewhere else, the girder would not have been sent to Marylebone on its way to south-east London. There is a New Cross on the Birmingham Canal Navigations near Horseley Fields Junction. Perhaps there are other places? One for our followers to comment on!

This news cutting, probably dating from the 1950s, has been acquired recently. The girder was made in London and transported by rail from Marylebone. It is destined for the Grand Union Canal at New Cross. Your immediate thought might be that New Cross is on the Croydon canal. However we think this might have been destined for somewhere else, the girder would not have been sent to Marylebone on its way to south-east London. There is a New Cross on the Birmingham Canal Navigations near Horseley Fields Junction. Perhaps there are other places? One for our followers to comment on!

24/03/2021

We have now installed a digital display screen at our reception in readiness for re-opening in May. The screen will be used for messages about things we offer that visitors might not be aware of, shop offers, forthcoming events etc.

15/03/2021

Testing a new digital signage screen that will be installed at reception to remind visitors about things we do and offer!

Testing a new digital signage screen that will be installed at reception to remind visitors about things we do and offer!

13/03/2021

Massive 18th Century Egg-Shaped Underground Ice House Discovered in London

Another Ice pit local to ours, sadly not acessable

A forgotten 18th century ice house, enormous in scale, was discovered during development work in 2018 at Regent's Crescent in London, bringing back to

13/03/2021

Nostalgic Video Compares 1970s Regent's Canal To Modern Day

Nostalgic Video Compares 1970s Regent's Canal To Modern Day

No Camden Market.

04/03/2021

March Illustrated Talk

The Shroppie, Peter Brown

02/03/2021

Many of you know that we have a 1960 Wickham towpath tractor on display in the museum. Before that, introduced in 1952, there was the Garner tractors and these survived alongside the Wickham machines, until the 1970s. Photographs and memories of the Garner tractors are not very numerous. However, we have recently managed to obtain a very rare advertising leaflet for "The Wonderful Garner Haulage Tractor", and this will be safely kept in our archives. The Garner tractors had petrol engines and were a common sight on the London canals in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. We now have a technical specification and even a price list! The existence of this leaflet has been known for some time. Finding one was a stroke of luck!

06/02/2021

Congratulations to Adan Reyes-Sanchez on winning one of the runner-up prizes in our Regent's 200 Photograph competition. This atmospheric pictures is of the flats behind Sainsbury's in Camden Town.

Congratulations to Adan Reyes-Sanchez on winning one of the runner-up prizes in our Regent's 200 Photograph competition. This atmospheric pictures is of the flats behind Sainsbury's in Camden Town.

04/02/2021

We apologise for the abandonment of tonight's monthly Illustrated Talk. Our planned speaker did not attend and we were unable to make contact. We don't yet know the reason. orry for the disappointment.

02/02/2021

We are delighted to congratulate Dave Feaster on winning the museum's Regent's Canal 200 photographic competition with the stunning picture taken at Camden, below. His atmospheric image won the approval of all three of the judges. The photo competition was originally planned to be one of many events celebrating the 200th anniversary of the canal, but in the end turned out to be one of the few things that actually happened. Well done to Dave and thanks to all the entrants for contributing to an archive of images of the canal in its 200th year. We'll keep you waiting a day or two to show you the two runner-up winners!

We are delighted to congratulate Dave Feaster on winning the museum's Regent's Canal 200 photographic competition with the stunning picture taken at Camden, below. His atmospheric image won the approval of all three of the judges. The photo competition was originally planned to be one of many events celebrating the 200th anniversary of the canal, but in the end turned out to be one of the few things that actually happened. Well done to Dave and thanks to all the entrants for contributing to an archive of images of the canal in its 200th year. We'll keep you waiting a day or two to show you the two runner-up winners!

20/01/2021

Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet - Wikipedia

Many of you will have watched Lady Gaga singing the USA National Anthem at the inauguration of the new President today. One of the lines in the anthem is: "And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air". This is a reference to Congreve's rockets. William Congreve invented these military rockets and they were used against the French as well as in the American War of Independence. Congreve was a great inventor. One of his inventions was the Hydro-pneumatic lock, that was installed, briefly, at Camden Town on The Regent's Canal. So there is a connection between The Regent's Canal and today's presidential inauguration across the Atlantic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Congreve,_2nd_Baronet

Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet KCH FRS (20 May 1772 – 16 May 1828) was an English inventor and rocket artillery pioneer distinguished for his development and deployment of Congreve rockets, and a Tory Member of Parliament (MP).