London Canal Museum

There's a lot more to canals than you might think. They were once the highways of England and an army of families lived in small cabins in primitive conditions carrying goods of all sorts. They had their own way of life, and their decorative art known as “roses and castles” is an enduring tradition. You can enter a typical cabin and marvel at the tiny family home. Boats were pulled by horses until engines were introduced and in London miniature tractors like the one on display took the place of the horse.

On many dates you can also enjoy the canal itself and explore the long nearby Islington canal tunnel by pre-booking one of our boat trips as part of your visit. A guide travels with you to explain the history of the route and tea/coffee is offered on longer trips. There's a cream tea cruise every Thursday afternoon, too!

The building was once an ice warehouse and you can look down into a huge commercial ice well below ground – the only one in the UK that you can see. Ice was brought from the mountains of Norway by sea and canal boat for storage here and distribution by horse and cart – making London a cool city even then! Ice was used for all the things we use fridges and freezers for today. You can find out about the forgotten trade in natural ice and the extraordinary life of Swiss entrepreneur Carlo Gatti, who built our building.

The museum adjoins Battlebridge Basin, a tranquil urban beauty spot. You might not believe that you’re so close to King’s Cross station.