London Canal Museum

Located behind King's Cross Station, this museum is housed in a former warehouse on the Regent's Canal Battlebridge Basin.

The warehouse was built in 1862 by a Swiss immigrant, Carlo Gatti, who imported ice from Norway. The blocks of ice arrived at the Limehouse docks and then transported to King's Cross by canal boats where the ice was stored in two wells beneath the warehouse. Visitors can view one of these 42ft deep ice wells which are well lit.

The Canal Museum shows the history of London's canals, particularly the Regent's Canal. Displays illustrate the story of Gatti's life, the ice trade and the families who made their living on the waterways.

At the centre of the museum is the 'Coronis', an unpowered boat. The narrowboat 'Coronis' was built in Woolwich, London, by Harland and Wolff and restored by the museum. The reconstructed cabin gives visitors an idea of the cramped conditions endured by the people who lived and worked on the canals.

Visitors can experience this for themselves and inspect the ingenious items designed to make the most of the limited space. The narrowboat also has the typical 'lace-work' plates and brightly painted hardware, such as buckby cans or coal scuttles. Families worked on these narrowboats until the severe winter of 1963. They travelled to and from London and Birmingham and often exchanged part of their cargo with another.

The museum also has the award-winning 'Bantam IV' moored. This floating exhibit, a 21ft (6m) 'pusher' tug, has been restored as an exhibit.

In the warehouse were stables for the working horses and it has information boards, a library and education service.

A short film, 'Barging through London' (1924) which illustrates a canal worker's life on a trip from Limehouse to Paddington, is shown in the museum.

The shop a range of waterways related items, including books, postcards and maps.