Little Venice, London

The canal junction at Little Venice

Little Venice is a scenic and affluent part of London, known for its canals and moored boats. Much of the property in the area consists of Regency-style white painted stucco terraced town houses and mansions. Little Venice surrounds the convergence of three waterways: the Grand Union Canal and the Regent's Canal, and Paddington Basin which meet in a large, picturesque pool, Browning's Pool (usually called by residents "Little Venice Lagoon" or "the Lagoon"), which forms the focus of the area.

Little Venice is also a ward of the City of Westminster. The population at the 2011 Census was 10,633.^[1]

Name and extent

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 the "Little" became current. The name was in frequent use by the latter half of the 20th century.

The boundaries of Little Venice are unclear, however the majority of its buildings have a Regency style architectural style of white painted stucco facades. 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 (Merchant Square/Paddington Central). Although the Paddington Basin development is sometimes included as a part of Little Venice, the modern architectural style of Paddington Basin sets it apart from the rest of the area. The name Maida Vale is likewise fairly recent. Much of its area was known previously as Paddington, whilst the land north of Browning's Pool was referred to as Kilburn Fields.

It is generally considered that Little Venice is bounded by Maida Avenue, Warwick Crescent and Blomfield Road, the western portal of Maida Hill tunnel, other streets such as Delamere Terrace, and the Grand Union Canal itself in a westward direction towards Lord Hill's and Harrow Road bridges. This is the area surrounding the Little Venice Lagoon and its canals containing the Regency style white stucco buildings.

The origins and coinage of the name are disputed. One story goes that it originated with the poet Robert Browning, who lived in the area in 1862–87.^[2] This was disputed by Lord Kinross in 1966^[3] and by London Canals.^[4] Both assert that Lord Byron (1788–1824) humorously coined the name, which now applies more loosely to a longer reach of the canal system.

Facilities

Little Venice is one of London's prime residential areas,^[5] with a number of cultural facilities, as well as restaurants, shops, theatres and pubs. Canal side venues include Canal Cafe Theatre, the Puppet Theatre Barge, the Waterside Café, the Summerhouse Restaurant and Cafe La Ville. The area also includes at least three grade two listed pubs of note for their unique interiors The Warwick Castle, The Warrington, The Prince Alfred . The Inland Waterways Association has hosted a Canalway Cavalcade in Little Venice since 1983.^[6]

A regular waterbus service operates from Little Venice eastward around Regent's Park, calling at London Zoo and continuing towards Camden Town. Little Venice is served by one tube station, Warwick Avenue on the Bakerloo line, and by the No. 6, 46, 187 and 414 bus services.

Notable residents

• Robbie Williams, singer and musician.
• Richard Branson, entrepreneur and adventurer.^[7][8]
• Noel Gallagher, singer and musician.
• Alan Turing, English computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and theoretical biologist.^[9]
• Michael Bond, creator of the Paddington bear.^[10]
• Robert Browning, English poet and playwright.^[11]
• Björk, singer and musician.^[9]
• Michael Flatley, dancer.^[12]

Cultural References

• Duffy - Warwick Avenue^[13]

References

Coordinates: 51°31′18″N 0°10′56″W / 51.5216°N 0.1821°W / 51.5216; -0.1821