Dating from the early 19th century, the Grand Union Canal actually finishes up in Birmingham (you can journey much of its length by bicycle): horse-drawn barges were ideal for carrying coal and other bulk commodities such as grain or ice (the latter was imported from Norway by ship to Limehouse and then conveyed along the canal). Little Venice is an important mooring point for narrow boats (many of them permanent homes), which keeps the boating spirit bubbling away.