Discover how a romantic spot called Little Venice was created, why Bohemians and Business Folk choose to live along the Grand Union Towpath.
Why is this area called Little Venice? Popular legend has it that bad boy poet Lord Byron gave it the nickname when visiting a fellow writer here. The name has stuck! You’ll hear tales of artists, musicians and entrepreneurs who settled here.
It’s also the story of how a rural part of London was transformed by the coming of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s. First the building of the Grand Union Canal – and then the arrival of the railways.
As we walk along the towpath, I’ll tell you stories about hard working barge families who transported heavy goods along the canal. They worked long hours with little in the way of employment protection.
After leaving the canal, we’ll explore the historic Paddington Green locality – where the celebrities of their day had rural retreats. We’ll also see a building named in honour of West African nationalist – Amilcar Cabral – who outwitted Portugal’s dictator, Antonio Salazar, to gain independence for his people.
