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Funding for London's towpaths

7th Sep 2005

Forty years ago, London’s towpaths were private property, accessible to only a few. Today British Waterways’ 100 miles of towpaths in the capital receive almost 16.5 million visits a year and offer an increasingly popular green route for walkers, cyclists, joggers and anglers, as well as an important wildlife corridor.

These towpaths are shortly to be given a boost with a major upgrade by British Waterways as a result of £850,000 invested by Transport for London to improve accessibility and open up the routes for cyclists and pedestrians. The four-month programme of works starts this month and will revitalise over four miles of towpath in four boroughs. Works include:

  • A one-mile stretch of the Regent’s Canal in London Borough of Hackney from Broadway Market in Hackney north to the Hertford Union Canal Junction in Bow Construction work will start at the end of September and will take three months;
    • A two-thirds of a mile stretch of the Regent’s Canal through the London boroughs of Hackney and Islington, from east of City Road Basin in Islington to Bridport Place in Hoxton. Work will start end of November, take two months;
    • A two-mile stretch of the Grand Union Canal Paddington Arm in London Borough of Ealing from Manor Farm Road in Alperton, east to Greenford Road in Greenford. Work will start at the end of September and will take three months;
    • A two-thirds of a mile stretch of the Grand Union Canal Main Line in London Borough of Hounslow from Brentford High Street to where the canal passes under the A4. Work will start early in September and will take six weeks;
    • Designs for future towpath access improvement works.

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone commented: “British Waterways and Transport for London are working hard to improve London’s towpaths and this new funding will make towpaths more attractive and accessible for Londoners to use and explore.

“Towpaths are important to recreation in London, for walking and cycling but also for supporting local wildlife. I am committed to developing and delivering a network of green routes for cyclists through parks and along waterways.”

Last updated: 22/10/2008