Cruising through the capital on a canal boat has given writer Helen Babbs a new perspective on London. Here she suggests some lesser-known places to visit along its navigable waterways, including a lost canal south of the river Barge-ing through … a canal boat sailing up the Regent’s canal towards Islington Tunnel. Photograph: Alamy Imoved to living on the water …

moved to living on the water almost three years ago, and one of the best things about being on a boat is the proximity to nature. One morning I opened the curtains to see a cormorant swimming westwards, fish-like and gleaming, slowly followed by a gaggle of foraging Canada geese. The whole of London’s canal network is designated a site …