My SUP Stories

I have a soft spot for industrial structures: bridges, pylons and yes, gasholders. There’s something about their honest, functional design and clever engineering that really appeals to me. I find them strangely handsome. Built for a very specific job in Victorian gas infrastructure, they helped keep London lit and warm. And now, that job has disappeared and I love seeing what has become of them.

Researching London’s waterways for my book Paddle London meant I paddled past quite a few of these structures. Two of my favourite sites still rise over Regent’s Canal: King’s Cross and Bethnal Green.

A Very Short Gas History

Victorian London ran on coal. It was transported from the industrial north, first by canal — horses towing narrowboats — and later by rail. At Pancras Gasworks in King’s Cross, once one of London’s largest gasworks, coal was heated in sealed ovens without air to produce town gas. It was called that because almost every sizeable town eventually had its own gasworks.

Gasholders stored this gas at low pressure so it could be supplied steadily to homes, streets and industry, even when demand fluctuated.

From the late 1960s onwards, town gas was replaced by natural gas piped from the North Sea. One by one, gasholders across Britain became redundant and many were demolished. Thankfully, not all. Out of hundreds in London, 16 remain.

King’s Cross

Approaching King’s Cross by paddleboard is brilliant. The iconic gasholder frames tower above St Pancras Lock, instantly recognisable even if you’ve never paid them much attention from land.

The whole area has gone through a huge transformation: from a closed industrial zone, to derelict and edgy – warehouse raves, anyone – to the redevelopment it is today. Instead of scrapping the heritage, they cherished it. The four restored frames now hold a beautifully landscaped park and luxury apartments. Penthouses still available… if money is no object. Coal Drops Yard and Granary Square next door continue the story of old industry meeting new life. It’s one of my favourite places to paddle.

Bethnal Green

Further east along Regent’s Canal, the two gasholder frames, one big, another smaller, at Bethnal Green stand just across the water from Broadway Market. These once supplied East London with gas and are now being restored as part of a major residential project.

More Than Luxury Flats

Gasholders are great examples of Victorian engineering and industrial design. They remind us how London was powered, built and shaped. Remove them all and you erase a whole chapter of London’s history. I genuinely love that the gasholders at King’s Cross and Bethnal Green were saved. But in a city that already has so much luxury housing, I wonder if some of these spaces could be used differently. Community spaces, studios, markets, places that feel a bit more accessible to more people.

So, what do you think? Gasholders: love them or loathe them?

Have you spotted any others around London’s waterways? I’d love to know where.

If you’d like more London paddling inspiration, my book Paddle London is now available to pre-order, both in paperback and Kindle edition.