Camden, London: markets, music and the Regent's Canal

Few corners of London are as instantly recognisable as Camden Town, the lively heart of the London Borough of Camden, a couple of miles north of the city centre. Crowds throng its high street and its sprawling markets, drawn by the cosmopolitan mix of stalls, street food and street art that has made the area one of the capital's favourite destinations.

The markets and the canal

Camden Market grew up from 1973 in the former warehouses and stables beside Camden Lock on the Regent's Canal, and now draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every week with crafts, vintage clothing, jewellery and food from around the world. The canal towpath links the area to Little Venice and King's Cross, and a waterbus glides past Regent's Park and London Zoo nearby.

A music legend

Camden's name looms large in British pop culture. The Roundhouse, built in 1847 as a railway engine shed, became a celebrated music venue in the 1960s, and the district's pubs and clubs have nurtured generations of musicians, from David Bowie to Amy Winehouse. The wider borough also takes in Bloomsbury, the British Library and the leafy heights of Hampstead and Highgate.

Around the borough

Camden Town sits roughly four kilometres north of Charing Cross and is woven into the Underground network, making it one of the easiest parts of London to reach.