Little Venice

The east side of Little Venice basin (the willow tree is on the island), overlooked by white painted Regency houses

Little Venice basin viewed from the western end looking north-east towards the Regents Canal corner, with the island on the right and white Regency style terraces overlooking the basin

Little Venice is a district in Middlesex, deep in the conurbation around the junction of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, the Regent's Canal, and the entrance to Paddington Basin. The junction forms a triangular shape basin. Many of the buildings in the vicinity are Regency white painted stucco terraced town houses and taller blocks (mansions) in the same style. The area is two and a half miles west west of Charing Cross and immediately north-west of Paddington.

The area is recked to have about 11,000 residents. Warwick Avenue runs through the area, which is also served by Warwick Avenue tube station.

Name

Junction of the Regent's Canal, at Paddington. (S. Lacey from a drawing by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd) in Metropolitan Improvements, 1828

Little Venice is a comparatively recent name for parts of Paddington and Maida Vale in the City of Westminster, which had been referred to as London's "Venice" for a century before "Little" was added. The name was in frequent use by the latter half of the 20th century.

The origin of the name is sometimes attributed to the poet Robert Browning who lived at Beauchamp Lodge, 19 Warwick Crescent, between 1862 and 1887. This was disputed by Lord Kinross in 1966 who asserted that Lord Byron no less (1788–1824) first humorously compared the locale to Venice.

Junction of the canals

The junction of the three canals forms a triangular basin within which is a small island. The three canals enter the basin at the corners: the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal is to the west, the Regent's Canal is in the north-east corner and the short connecting canal of the Paddington Basin to the south-east. The length of the sides of the basin are about 120 yards from the Regents Canal to the other two corners and the length from the Paddington Arm to the Paddington Basin canal is slightly longer at about 170 yards.

The boundaries of the neighbourhood of ‘Little Venice’ are unclear; however, the majority of its buildings have white stucco facades characteristic of Regency architecture. This architectural style and the proximity to the canals defines the area. The name Little Venice is now being used for a wider area than previously to include new developments surrounding Paddington Basin.

From the Paddington Basin corner

Narrowboats in Little Venice

Narrowboats and houseboats on the Grand Union Canal in Little Venice

Canalway Calvalcade at Little Venice in 2005

Facilities

Little Venice is one of London's prime residential areas and contains restaurants, shops, theatres and pubs. Canalside venues include the Canal Cafe Theatre, the Puppet Theatre Barge, the Waterside Café, the Summerhouse Restaurant, and Café La Ville.

Centred on the Little Venice and Padington basins, the Inland Waterways Association has hosted a ‘Canalway Cavalcade’ since 1983. It takes place over the early May Bank Holiday weekend, combining a Boat Rally with a trade show, activities and entertainments.

Location

• Location map: 51°31’18"N, 0°10’56"W

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Little Venice)