About The Music Boat
Setting Off On Your Trip
The Music Boat is one of the most unique and amazing experiences London has to offer: an entrancing boat ride along the most beautiful stretch of regents canal with a live musical performance on board by some of the city's most spellbinding talent.
Although most passengers just turn up to The Music Boat as we are usually there seven days a week from 11am till dark (providing the weather is not particularly hostile…) Most passengers join shared tours. Bookings for shared tours are best booked over the phone / email, however only private tours (the whole boat) can be booked through this site:: Book a Trip
Our Pick Up / Drop of Point is pictured here to the left, by the railings just after the footbridge, opposite the arch leading into the West Yard of Camden Market’s food market, right in front of Cafe Chula: NW1 8AF
One way trips to Regent’s Park, by London Zoo (our turning point) are also possible, however the trip is same price, though we can slow it down a little so you still get around 35 minutes of Music Boat amusement…
Don’t forget: you can bring whatever food / drink you want on the trip so preparation is key and if unprepared we are always happy to run to the shop / off licence for you at no extra cost. It’s all part of the service: your happiness is our very own !
Camden Lock
The first sights you will encounter upon embarking on your journey are those of Camden Lock and Market. The hustle and bustle of the food vendors and the elevated drinkers in the surrounding bars looking down on you from their roof tops and balconies provide the perfect initial preparation for the peaceful, leafy, idyllic surroundings which are soon to follow. Much of the Market is still consists of the original, traditional buildings that are iconic to Camden Lock…The Lock itself is a hive of activity during the warmer months: from plush, fully decked house boats and ancient narrow boats, to tiny fibre glass cruisers inhabited by free spirits with little money, trying to live out the cheapest adventure possible (and doing a damn good job of it too!). You will probably see all manner of vessels (and crew) passing through Camden Lock, not to mention the myriad stalls, little boutiques, cafe’s, bars and restaurants that surround it…so soak up the exiting commotion of the Market, so you can fully appreciate the contrasting tranquility and quiet old world charm to follow on the rest of the trip.
The Pirate Castle
As The Music Boat floats past Camden lock, passing under The Pirate Castle bridge, it passes through a sort of transitionary zone, the hordes of shoppers from the market are replaced by small groups and couples, picnicking / having a drink by the canal side opposite The Pirate Castle: a charity that takes kids out on canoes and rents out their canal boats amongst other noble deeds…) Although it is a modern building, it is built in a kind of mock - medieval style that is interesting and quite charming in its own right. As we pass, there will often be large groups of children in their canoes who all love the music boat, with our on board artist, singing and strumming away to their delight.
The Visitor Moorings &Secret Gardens of Regents Canal
This is where the trip really comes into its own: on one side (the side of the tow path) we have the Visitor Moorings: Essentially the canal’s version of temporary parking spaces where up to ten canal boats can stay there for up to a week before having to move along to the next mooring spot…These boats really are something to behold, some new, many over a century old, still in excellent condition for the love and attention they have received throughout their lives… But even the newer ones are often decorated with extraordinary panache and some of the most eccentric, and imaginative displays imaginable: one canal boat had a roof totally covered in bonsai trees: a floating miniature forest! It must be appreciated that these boats are peoples homes, but unlike the rooted habitations most of us dwell in (houses, flats etc.) on the navigation there are no planning permissions, no renovation criteria: you can literally do whatever you like to your boat in terms of aesthetics.
This beautiful Painting conveys the look and feel of the Hidden Gardens infinitely better than any photo ever could…
The Hidden Gardens of Regents Canal opposite the Visitor Moorings are the private back gardens of multimillion pound Victorian villas whose residences back onto the canal. Although slightly obscured from the tow path, due to the many weeping willows and foliage, from The Music Boat, one can obtain a much clearer view: Beautiful flower arrangements, obscure statues and ornaments, traditional architecture and elegant water features, not to mention a life sized model of a cow on one of the balconies! Try to envisage the scene: You are sitting comfortably in The Music Boat with a few close friends, passing under a willow tree, the hanging leaves part like a natural curtain, in the warm dusk, to your left a sumptuous garden flaunts its grandeur, to your right a moored canal boat. with its windows open reveal a charming classical interior, the owner sits on the roof of their boat, relaxing, reading a book, you are enjoying a refreshing flute of sparkling wine and pleasant conversation while our musician gently plucks a tune mingling with the bird song as a swan passes our boat, followed by its brood of cygnets. Paradise is just a half hour tube ride away….
St. Marks Church
The next gem on our trip is St. Marks Church, approaching Regent's Park, It is an exquisite expression of neo - gothic architecture with a stunning church yard bursting with flora and fauna. It was consecrated in 1853 and belongs to the Diocese of London within the Church of England. The church was destroyed during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and restored and reconsecrated in October 1957. An apt feature considering the spiritually revitalising effect many passengers have remarked upon following their trip on The Music Boat.
FENG SHANG PRINCESS
Rumoured to be Paul Mccartney’s favourite restaurant in London, this landmark is obviously not just a mere restaurant. This floating red Chinese pagoda is a structure demonstrating genuine elegance and taste, occasionally a Heron perches on the roof, suspend your disbelief, and this wondrous scene transports the passenger to an eastern paradise, igniting the imagination as the live performance enhances this already rich experience.
London Zoo and Lord Snowdon’s Aviary
Here we reach the turning point of our journey: a fabulously impressive climax; London Zoo! On the far side, we have the Wild African Hunting Dogs, who can sometimes be seen sunbathing in their deceptively lazy fashion, but more often then not, you will see them running back and forth emitting their signature high pitched whistle (they cannot bark), especially during feeding time, where a large hunk of meat is hung from a zip line and swung across the length of their enclosure, goading them to chase the rolling chunk of meat in relay, their hunting seems well organised and hierarchical. Feeding time is when their vicious, predatory nature is most apparent. A brilliant piece of free entertainment if you are lucky enough to arrive at this particular time.
Further along on the same side of the canal, we have the African warthog enclosure, and again, when the weather is clement, you will often see them lazing about, sun bathing. Their great tusks and Trump like combovers that run from their heads, all the way along the top of their backs, never fails to amaze and is quite in keeping with some of the elaborate asymmetrical hairstyles you will likely see back in Camden Town! Again an amazing bit of extra entertainment to compliment an already extremely entertaining experience (The Music Boat)
Opposite the Hunting Dog and Warthog enclosures, you will see the famous Lord Snowdon’s Aviary, full of birds from Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Guinea, and Polynesia) The Snowdon Aviary was designed by Cedric Price, Frank Newby and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, and was built in 1964..
