THE ROMANCE OF THE RAILWAY
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Regent's Canal by Ian Scott Massie

Picture
Original Watercolour
20" x 16" Mounted size - 14.5" x 10.5" Image size
Available: framed @ £595, unframed @ £545
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REGENT'S CANAL

Walk a little way north of King Cross, through the new high rise towers and you’ll find a rather lovely antique - the Regent’s Canal. I’ve always had a soft spot for a canal - I grew up near one - they always seem to have a tranquil air about them.

When  Kings Cross and St Pancras stations were planned this placed a major barrier in the route northward out of London. The line from St Pancras was raised to pass over the canal while the engineers of the Great Northern Railway decided to tunnel under the waterway. This is why, when you walk from Kings Cross to St Pancras you enter a station where the platforms are high above your head. The vast space beneath them was originally a huge store for beer from Burton-on-Trent. Where Marks & Spencer display their sandwiches was London’s beer cellar.

The Regent’s Canal runs from Paddington to Limehouse. It allowed goods from London to connect with canals leading north, and allowed south-bound cargoes direct access to London and its port. The canal also integrated with the extensive good yards at Kings Cross (see Coal Drops Yard). First proposed in 1802, it was built in 1812 as part of the redevelopment of North London by John Nash, the influential architect whose work included Regent Street, Portland Place and Regent’s Park. ​

These days the towpath gives Londoners a pleasant alternative way to cross a busy part of the city.

How it would look on your wall

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