The Canal & River Trust has this week started a £533,000 ten-week project to repair the Grade II Listed Interchange Basin Towpath Bridge on the Regent’s Canal in Camden.
Built in 1846, the historic bridge known locally as ‘Dead Dog bridge’, is an important local landmark carrying the Regent’s Canal towpath across the canal basin beneath the Camden Interchange Warehouse (‘Dead Dog Tunnel’), and is the busiest canal footbridge in the country with over one million walking and cycling visits per year.
The work, which is due to be completed by the end of March 2023, will include: repairs to the bridge’s wrought iron lattice parapets; cleaning of the underlying cast iron beams; and cleaning and repointing the abutments and approach parapets.
The bridge will be closed throughout the project, and towpath diversion routes will be in place. The canal will remain open for boats to navigate.
Ros Daniels, the Canal & River Trust’s director for London & South East, explains:
“Research shows that being next to water improves your mental and physical health. The Canal & River Trust protects and preserves London’s canals, making them welcoming to encourage more people to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of walking and cycling, and being by the water.
“The Interchange Basin Towpath Bridge, known locally as ‘Dead Dog’ bridge is a key route for people using the canal through Camden and with over one million visits each year, is one of the busiest bridges on our network. Now over 175 years old, the bridge’s striking wrought iron lattice parapets will be lovingly restored, ensuring this historic bridge continues to carry millions of visitors enjoying the Regent’s Canal in Camden, for many years to come.
“With consent from the London Borough of Camden’s conservation team, our engineers are working with specialist contractors to carefully repair, clean and repaint the bridge’s historic parapets and repoint the abutments on site.”
Built at the beginning of the 20th century by the London & North Western Railway (LNWR), the massive Grade II Listed red brick Interchange Warehouse in Camden was designed to bring together canal, rail and road transport in one covered building, with three layers of storage.
The entrance to the Interchange Dock became known as ‘Dead Dog Tunnel’ because, historically, debris – including dead animals –accumulated here at the end of the 26-mile lock-free stretch of the canal flowing into central London. ‘Dead Dog Tunnel’ has featured in a number of films, including the 2015 Bond film Spectre, where it was used as a double for Q’s top secret underground workshop.
Today, the Interchange Building is a co-working office space. Using the Interchange Dock, iRecycle transports waste from the Interchange Building by barge to the Powerday recycling centre in West London.
To find out more about the ‘Dead Dog’ bridge repair project, go to https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/deaddogbridge, call the Canal & River Trust on 03030 404040 or email customer.services@canalrivertust.org.uk
For more information on Canal & River Trust including how you can donate money or volunteer to support our work visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
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