Londons hidden canals

Alan de Enfield · February 1, 2023

Beneath the streets of West London there are long tunnels where boats still cruise. Out of sight and out of mind, many of the people that walk the streets above them don't know about these hidden gems.

Originally built to allow the city to thrive, the tunnels let the Regent's Canal cut through the hillier areas of Maida Vale and St John's Wood. This meant vital supplies such as coal could be transported around without complicated systems of locks.

The 48m-long Eyre's Tunnel passes under Lisson Grove and the Maida Hill Tunnel stretches for 249 metres beneath the hill it's named after. The Eyre's Tunnel has a towpath along one side allowing walkers to see the Victorian workmanship.

The Maida Hill one on the other hand is a little more mysterious to those on foot. The walls go straight down into the water meaning the only way to see it is by boat.

Before engines were commonplace on boats, without the towpath for a horse to tow the boat, the crew had to lie on their backs and essentially walk the boat through the tunnel. This process was called 'legging' a boat through.

Above the western end of the tunnel, a restaurant has been built, where anyone can sit and watch the comings and goings of the boats. These relics of a different time have thankfully been preserved whereas many other canals in London were lost.

If you travel east along the Regent's Canal you can find the Islington Tunnel that runs beneath that area. This tunnel is the longest in London at 880 metres but, as I'm often assured, length isn't everything. Each tunnel allows the canal to wind through London, creating that vital route that has brought so much to the city.

Secret tunnels so deep that boats can travel beneath London Underground Tube trains (msn.com)