History of Little Venice
The arrival of the canal in 1801 at Paddington, then just a village on the outskirts of London, soon saw it become an important waterways hub. For the first 150 years prior to becoming Little Venice, many exclusive Nash houses were built along the Regents canal at North/South Bank and Park Villages East/West, and many of the other houses and mansions along the canal were built to similar style. These greatly elevated the status of the whole area.
The area was bombed in World War I, when enemy planes mistook the canals for the river Thames.
This ‘Venice’ of London began to garner more influence after the World War II, and in the 1950 became known as ‘Little’ Venice.
Browning’s Pool is a popular gentrification of the area, in an attempt to up the area’s class. The isle in the middle of the Little Venice pool was christened Brownings Island.
Notable past or current residents:
-
Robbie Williams, singer and musician
-
Richard Branson, entrepreneur and adventurer
-
Noel Gallagher, singer and musician
-
Alan Turing, English computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and theoretical biologist
-
Michael Bond, creator of the Paddington bear
-
Robert Browning, English poet and playwright
-
Björk, singer and musician
-
Michael Flatley, dancer
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Venice,_London
