Sunday 3rd May 2026
Part of International Urban Sketchers Week (1–7 May 2026)

Led by Zane Karklina and co

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In early May, we head to Little Venice, Paddington, to sketch during Canalway Cavalcade, London’s largest canal-side festival organised by the Inland Waterways Association. The festival fills the waterways around Browning’s Pool with decorated narrowboats, bunting, live music, food stalls and crowds enjoying the first Bank Holiday weekend of the year.

Our official sketchwalk will take place on Sunday, 3rd May, during International Urban Sketchers Week — a global celebration of our community.

We also plan to gather informally on Saturday, 2nd May and Monday, 4th May, so that those who wish can enjoy more of the festival atmosphere across the weekend. These additional days are relaxed meet-ups rather than formally led sketchwalks.

Canalway Cavalcade runs:

• Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Monday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Illuminated boat procession Sunday evening – 9:00 pm

Expect colour, movement and plenty of subject matter.

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How to find the Rembrandt gardens

Access can be slightly confusing:

• From Warwick Avenue Tube (Bakerloo Line):
  Walk south along Warwick Avenue towards the canal (5 minutes). Cross the bridge over the water and look for steps leading down into the gardens on your right.
• From Paddington Station:
  Walk along the canal towards Little Venice (about 10 minutes). Cross the canal to Stone Wharf (where most food stalls are usually located), then continue along the path under the bridge to the gardens.
• The gardens are directly on the water by Browning’s Pool.

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About the Location

Little Venice is where two major canals meet, forming a broad pool framed by narrowboats, willow trees and waterside terraces.

During Canalway Cavalcade, this normally tranquil junction comes to life: over 100 boats gather, many decorated with bunting and flags. There are craft stalls, live music stages, Morris dancing, food vendors, and a strong sense of community among boaters and visitors.

It is lively, colourful and constantly shifting — ideal for observational drawing.

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What to Sketch

Little Venice and the surrounding waterways offer a strong mix of landscape, architecture and festival life:

• Browning’s Pool – the wide junction where Regent’s Canal meets the Grand Union Canal, offering water views, narrowboats and layered sightlines.
• Rembrandt Gardens – the statue of Rembrandt, the fountain, rose beds, and formal planting set against the canal backdrop.
• Blomfield Road terraces – stucco-fronted Victorian houses overlooking the water.
• Warwick Avenue Bridge – a useful elevated viewpoint across the basin.
• Canal infrastructure – iron bridges, mooring posts, towpaths, lock mechanisms and signage.
• Houseboats and historic narrowboats gathered for Canalway Cavalcade.
• Festival elements – performance stages, musicians, food stalls and the temporary architecture of the event.
• The Puppet Theatre Barge moored along the canal.
• Views along the towpath towards Paddington Basin for a contrast of modern waterside development.

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Rain Cover Options

• Under nearby road bridges along the canal
• Café awnings along the towpath
• Trees within Rembrandt Gardens
• Sheldon Square and Paddington Basin (short walk east) for more sheltered modern architecture

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Practical Information

Transport

• Warwick Avenue (Bakerloo Line) – 5 minutes’ walk
• Paddington Station – Bakerloo, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Elizabeth Line, National Rail (10 minutes’ walk)
• Buses: 6, 18, 46, 187, 414

Toilets

Festival facilities are usually provided during Canalway Cavalcade. Otherwise:

• Rembrandt Garden Toilets
• Paddington Station
• Local cafés

Food & Drink

Festival food stalls operate throughout the weekend.
Local cafés line the canal and Sheldon Square Amphitheatre.
Several pubs are nearby, including traditional canal-side options.

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International Urban Sketchers Week

#Little Venice #Paddington #CanalwayCavalcade #uskweek2026