Paddington & its transport systems – 3 The Great Western Railway This was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and it is interesting that his railway opened in the same year his canal bridge was built. It was in 1838 that these events occured. The railway itself was broad gauge of…
Paddington & its transport systems – 2 The canal – Brunel’s bridge: This was an early Brunel structure, predating the major works at Paddington Station by several years. The castings were made in Deptford and put together on site in 1838 and the structure officially opened in 1839. It was…
Paddington and its transport systems – 1 The building of the Grand Junction Canal between Braunston and Brentford brought the canal network to the River Thames, which in turn ran through the heart of London, giving direct access to the city’s wharves and industry. While this was intially an acceptable…
The former Porta Bella dock, now another of those useless water features that people seem to like turning canals into. Whats all this talk of ‘restoration’ when this happens? Houses in Harrow Road whose backs are right on the canal’s edge. These are the only such examples left on London’s…
A slightly scruffy looking stretch of canal belies these electricity substations and their service bridges east of Acton Lane, Harlesden. This was the site of METESCo’s Acton Lane power station, built in 1899. An aerial view of the complex can be seen at Britain from Above. The canal enters a…
The canal has a lengthy run past Horsenden Hill Golf Course as far as the WLCC at Alperton. Despite the location it is surprisingly rural The West London Crusing Club’s moorings at Alperton Modern copy of a traditional bridge at Alperton – the concrete arch gives away its origin The…
Northolt boatyard, offering services, gas and diesel. Its operated by High Line Yachting of Iver. This is the last opportunity to fill up before London. The next opportunity is Springfield Marina on the Lee Navigation – unless one happens to meet either of the area’s working narrowboats that sell coal…
The Padddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal (formerly the Grand Junction Canal) like all the Grand Union routes, was actually owned by the Regents Canal company. Their Grand Union network was formed in 1929 and was the last major waterways merge before nationalisation. The Paddington Arm was one of…
The Kilburn Aqueduct and the Westbourne River There were just two aqueducts on the London canal system in it’s early days. Besides the substatial crossing over the River Brent near Stonebridge, there was also the Kilburn Aqueduct in what is now London’s Little Venice. This was a substantial structure with…
A tour around Little Venice Part 3 The Blue (and Green) plaques of Little Venice Generally Blue Plaques are those of English Heritage and the former Greater London Council. The Green ones are from the City of Westminster. Many famous people live in and around the pool area and elsewhere…