The Wenlock Basin, a canal basin

Canal basin

A canal basin is an expanse of waterway alongside or at the end of a canal, and wider than the canal, constructed to allow boats to moor or unload cargo without impeding the progress of other traffic, and to allow room for turning, thus serving as a winding hole...

, is part of the Regent's Canal

Regent's Canal

Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal, just north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London....

 in the London Borough of Hackney

London Borough of Hackney

The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....

, just east of City Road Basin

City Road Basin

The City Road Basin is a canal basin and part of the Regent's Canal in London, owned by British Waterways. There are currently several large-scale residential developments in progress....

, on the other side of Wharf Road. It was constructed in 1826 and is close to the entrance of the Islington Tunnel

Islington Tunnel

The Islington Tunnel carries the Regent's Canal Arm of the Grand Union Canal for 976 yards underneath the Angel area of Islington, London. The two other tunnels on the Regent's Canal are Eyre's tunnel and Maida Hill Tunnel....

, where a tug service operated until the 1930s.

There are private residential moorings at the North end, with their own entrance gate and entryphone on Wharf Road. The basin itself narrows considerably towards the South - and is not deep enough to be navigable by anything other than canoe.

Unlike the Regent's Canal

Regent's Canal

Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal, just north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London....

 and City Road Basin

City Road Basin

The City Road Basin is a canal basin and part of the Regent's Canal in London, owned by British Waterways. There are currently several large-scale residential developments in progress....

, Wenlock Basin is not owned or managed by British Waterways

British Waterways

British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...

.

Residential developments

Wenlock Basin is accessible only to residents. The development consists of the following buildings:

• The Royle Building, one of the earliest schemes on the basin, originally the Royle printworks at the junction of the Regent’s Canal and Wenlock Basin. Converted to almost 100 loft apartments, and recently had 'Skypads' added to the roof. Next to the Royle Building on Regent's Canal
  Regent's Canal
  Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal, just north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London....
  
   is the art-deco style warehouse called The Canal Building, originally sold as 79 shells.
• Union Wharf, A development of 90 loft-style apartments and live/work units designed and built by Persimmon Homes (Formerly the Beazer Group).
• Estilo, A mixed-use development of 43 one, two and three-bedroom units overlooking Wenlock Basin completed in 2006 by Telford Homes.
• Micawber Wharf, Another development of 18 studios, flats and live work/units completed in 2008. Designed by Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects, and developed by Isotop.
• The Wenlock Building, New mixed use development of 82 units on the west side of the basin at its junction with the Regent's Canal
  Regent's Canal
  Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal, just north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London....
  
  . Design by Johnson Naylor Architects, developed in a joint venture between Londonewcastle and Modern City Living, expected completion October 2008.

Businesses

A number of businesses still operate on Wenlock Basin, either in the ground floor business units of the larger residential developments - or in their own property directly backing on to the basin. They include the Victoria Miro Gallery

Victoria Miro Gallery

The Victoria Miro Gallery is a leading British contemporary art gallery in London, with an international reputation, run by Victoria Miro, one of the "grandes dames of the Britart scene", who first exhibited Chris Ofili and the Chapman Brothers...

, a leading British contemporary art gallery in London run by Victoria Miro.

External links

• Tuesday Night Club: a visit to Wenlock Basin