
One of my favourite walking routes in London is Regent’s Canal that stretches 8.6-mile (13.8 km) across the capital. There are lots of highlights along the way and one of my favourite attractions is the perfectly named bookshop, Word on the Water.
As you might have already guessed, Word on the Water is not your average shop made from traditional bricks and mortar. It is a canalboat that has been lovingly transformed into a bookshop, London’s only floating bookshop.
Getting there via Regent’s Canal

The quickest way to get to Word on the Water is from King’s Cross Station. Once you have waded through the crowds, finding your way to the canal only takes 5 minutes. The bookshop is conveniently located along the water at this access point.
However, this is definitely not the most scenic way to get there. Instead, I encourage you to walk along the canal. You don’t have to do the full length. The perfect thing about the canal is that you can hop on at lots of different access points. Haggerston, De Beauvoir Town and Angel from the East, and Regent’s Park and Camden from the West.
I discovered this place during lockdown on one of my daily walks. When everything closed in London, and travelling abroad came to an abrupt halt, I wondered how I was going to spend my spare time. Quickly, however, my new hobby became walking – a pastime shared by many and for good reason.
>> Related: Walking from Greenwich to Tower Bridge Along the Thames Path
Like many, I used the canal as simply a means to get from A to B, but during and after lockdown a walk along the canal become an activity in itself. I’ve walked the full length starting at Little Venice and ending in Docklands numerous times (or vice versa). It’s the perfect way to explore London on a sunny day. However, most of the time, I just walk along various sections as a way to unwind.
When I initially spotted Word on the Water at the end of March, it was a particularly cold and gloomy afternoon, and being lockdown it was closed inside. I peeked through the window in awe at all the books that laid inside and vowed to visit once it reopened.

Triumph in troubled waters
The bookshop is set against the backdrop of a former 50-foot-long 1920s Dutch barge that has been floating on the waters of London since 2010. However, ensuring its survival has not been plain sailing – even before the pandemic.
Before they secured a permanent mooring, they were forced to move each fortnight by canal authorities. Most canalboat dwellers face moving to avoid the fees that come with mooring. As you can imagine, for Word on the Water, this wasn’t good for business. It wasn’t easy to find. They needed a fixed address so to speak, so obtaining a permanent mooring – which is expensive in London – was crucial for its survival.
Through a successful campaign a few years ago that was spearheaded by its owners, Paddy Screech, Jonathan Privett and Stephane Chaudat and championed by several literary figures and a petition signed by 6000 people, the bookshop was finally granted its fixed location close to Granary Square in Kings Cross by Canal & River Trust.
From hardship comes strength and resilience and after seeing the buzz in the atmosphere upon its reopening, Word on the Water appears to have many fans. Usually in the summer, the barge hosts a variety of performances on its rooftop garden, bringing anything from folk groups to jazz bands to poetry slams.


Inside Word on the Water
Fast forward two months later to June and it’s now reopened. Under the sun, it looked better than ever, and it caught the attention of everyone walking past. Without fail, it brought a smile to everyone that walked past.
Whether it’s a love of books, or seeing the unexpected, or knowing that someone had a dream to turn a boat into a bookshop and actually bought the dream alive, it’s a sight that makes you smile.

Books sprawled across the boat, displayed on a fold-down ledge that turns into shutters once the working day is over, just as you’d find on a regular shop.
Lots of people stop to browse the outside display, but even more books await inside.

Inside the charm and quirkiness continues with a welcoming interior of Moroccan rugs, hand-painted quotes, and a leather armchair and cushions for an extra dose of comfort.
Word on the Water has a superb collection of fiction and non fiction books across a wide range of topics and authors. Due to its size, it does need to be picky, so what you’ll find is a highly curated collection of quality books that include lots of classics.
How to visit
If you’re pinched for time nearest station is King’s Cross St Pancras, then follow signs to Regent’s canal. See their Facebook page for opening times and schedule of upcoming events. As I previously recommended, it’s worth squeezing in a walk to get there by joining the canal at an entry point a bit further away.
Whether your desire is finding a good book or wanting to explore more of London’s hidden treasures, I urge you to visit. Places like this don’t come around too often and they play a large part in London’s unique cultural landscape.