When London Became An Island, which was published in May 2008, covers the construction of the Regents Canal between 1811 and 1820.

The inaugurative meeting of the canal project was held on May 31st 1811 at the Percy Coffee House, on Percy Street, which is off Tottenham Court Road. On May 31st 2011 that first meeting was celebrated by a group of supporters and enthusiasts in a modern coffee shop in the same street.

The London Canal Museum, housed in a canal side building at Kings Cross, is the best place to find out more about the Regents Canal. Click here for the link to the London Canal Museum and click here for the website of the Friends of the Regents Canal.

When London Became An Island is stocked by the London Canal Museum bookshop and this website is a supplement to the book. It is divided into two parts.

Part 1 offers a look at the canal as it was when the book was being written and is updated occasionally. The last update was in early August 2011, just 200 years since the first meeting of the canal subscribers, which took place on August 7th 1811.

Part 2 carries the texts of three documents dating from the time when the canal was being built.

Part 1

Part 1 offers a photographic walk along the towpath for those viewing the site in, say, Shanghai or Santiago or even St Pancras. It is divided into four sections. Look at the blue buttons on the left and right and you will see what they are. Click on a button to go to that section. Google Earth might be useful in following the trip from the air. Type in Blomfield Road, London, W9, on the Fly To panel and you will find yourself hovering over Little Venice.

Direct quotes are italicised in the text and there are references to events mentioned in When London Became An Island, but it is not necessary to have read the book before using the website. As you read through the web pages you will see photographs on the right hand side. These (like the two pictures at the top of this page, which show the canal near Victoria Park) are all thumbnails, just click on them to get the big picture.

On the left hand side are a number of grey buttons, like the one below, which should take you to the website of an organisation linked to the canal in some way or of a nearby place to visit.

There are also green buttons, which should take you to websites that have relevant historical information.

One coloured like this will take you to a song or video on You Tube.

Of course, some people might decide they want to see everything for themselves. Running from the junction with the Grand  Union Canal at Paddington to the Thames at Limehouse the canal towpath has always been a place for leisurely strolls. John Eames, for example, the fine if finally disappointed hero of Anthony Trollope's The Small House at Allington  walked along it on many a Sunday. Here, a word of caution. I have walked the canal for years and never had any problems, but I would suggest that it is best to walk in daylight and aim to end the walk before dusk unless you know the place where you will leave the towpath.

Given the choked state of the capital's roads it is hardly surprising that the towpath is well used as a cycle path and pedestrians should always take extra care when walking under bridges in case a cyclist suddenly appears from the opposite direction. Signs similar to the ones below have been placed at a number of  points along the canal and a towpath ranger employed to, as the Community Newspaper produced by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets put it, 'help combat conflict between towpath users'.

In June 2010, during National Bike Week, a series of events were organised to emphasise the need to share the towpath and show consideration for other users.

Part 2

Part 2 contains the text of three documents from the 1811 - 20 period. They are;

Text of prospectus for the Regents Canal. August 1811.

Text of Homer's letter admitting fraud. April 1815

Text of the Times report of the opening ceremony of the Regents Canal. August 1820.

Click on the relevant button to access a document.

If you want to go directly to one of the sections of the virtual walk click on a button below.

If you would like to listen to podcasts giving a brief overview of the story of the Regents Canal up to 1820, with some biographical details of several of the main players, click below.

Updated August 17th 2011