A place with character
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Combine a beautiful, historic venue in a tranquil
waterside location, a lovely view from the windows or outside, and the
convenience of a very short walk from one of London's busiest transport hubs.
That combination is London Canal Museum.
The museum, in a charming historic waterside
building, is an unusual place, full of character and interest. It was built as
an ice storage warehouse and you can look down into the uniquely preserved ice
well below the floor. There is access to the canalside with its fine views.
There are two floors. The ground floor is dominated by a large arched scenic
bridge and a colourful narrowboat, with lots of other exhibitions all around
you. It has access to the wharf outside, which guests can use, weather
permitting, until 2200 or the end of the event. The rear looks out over
Battlebridge Basin, a peaceful urban beauty spot surrounded by a mixture of
historic and modern buildings, and filled with colourful canal boats. Although
close to King's Cross and St. Pancras stations and the hustle and bustle of a
major transport hub, the museum is in a world apart - the world of London's
canals.
Canal Network
Networking is all about bringing people together to make business
contacts. Holding a reception or cocktail party in a museum makes networking
easier - there is always something to talk about with complete strangers that
gets a conversation started. Hosts beware, your guests may not want to leave!
The atmosphere of the museum is condusive to networking and conversation.
The right location
Location is vital if you want to encourage a good
attendance. The convenience of the journey home afterwards is the first thing
many guests consider when deciing whether to accept your invitation - though
they might not admit it! We are just 10 minutes' walk from the Eurostar trains
at St. Pancras International. We are within a short walking distance of three
mainline termini, and there are no fewer than six Underground lines serving
King's Cross, and almost too many bus routes to count. Walk to these stations
for through trains to a large part of England.
- St. Pancras International: Paris, Bruxelles,Lille (9
minutes' walk)
- St. Pancras domestic services: The East Midlands, Sheffield,
Brighton, Gatwick, Luton, Stratford, Canturbury, Maidstone, Dover (9 minutes'
walk)
- King's Cross (5 minutes' walk): Cambridge, Hertfordshire
commuter areas, York, Leeds, Newcastle
- Euston (15 minutes' walk) Birmingham, Manchester,
Liverpool
- Caledonian Road and Barnsbury: (15 minutes' walk) Stratford,
Acton, Richmond, (London Overground)
- King's Cross Underground: Picadilly Line (including
Heathrow), Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, Northern, Victoria and
Picadilly lines
Most of the other London termini are a single Underground journey
away. Guests attending an early evening reception at London Canal Museum can
return home the same evening to Paris, Bruxelles, Leeds, and Manchester. Of
course, minicabs can be called to the door of the museum to take guests to
destinations by road. And arriving after work is equally easy; we are a few
minutes' journey from the City of London and easily reached from all parts of
the Metropolis.
The convenience of our location does not come at the price of
unattractive surroundings. We are situated in a pleasant mixed street of
residential and office development, of both modern and renovated older
buildings. The busy Caledionian Road is just around the corner, but the
museum's location is quiet.
An accessible venue
We're not only easy to get to by unsurpassed transport links. We're
accessible to all your delegates when they get inside. Both floors are
accessible to wheelchair users, the stairs are well appointed for the visually
impaired and mobility impaired guest, there is a ramp to the wharf, and signage
is designed for the visually impaired and incorporates Braille. The street
entrance is level. So be proud to invite your guests knowing that everyone can
attend.
A Track Record
We have hosted a very wide variety of events since 1998 and our
experience is available to help you plan an event that goes smoothly from start
to finish. Hosting events attended by "VIP" guests does not pose us any problem
- we have welcomed two Prime Ministers (although one was in exile from his own
country!) and a number of cabinet ministers to the museum in the past.
A Green Venue
We are accredited as a "Green" venue and we will work with you to
ensure that the evironmental impact of your event is minimised.
Food and Drink
We do not provide food or drink (except tea/coffee) ourselves. Clients
are free to choose any caterer to provide food and service, and to buy drinks
wherever they wish. We maintain a list on this website of caterers who are
familiar with the museum, and these firms, in most cases, also have a track
record and have worked with us before. We don't reccommend any firm but these
suggested firms may be a good start to your search for the right caterer. If
you already have a favourite firm, or you want a specialist caterer, you can
use them. Unlike venues that insist on a shortlist of caterers, you have a
choice, and this means you can obtain the best food, service, and value, from a
caterer who is in competition for your business.
Lighing helps
If it suits the style of your occasion, we can add atmosphere by
providing temporary coloured lighting or other decorative lighting such as
up-lighters. This is of course most effective during the hours of darkness.
Hybrid Events, Launches, etc
Some receptions are combined with a more formal business meeting or a
presentation. We have two floors so we are ideal for this, using the first
floor for a presentation, for example, and the ground floor for a drinks and
canape reception. There is more detail on other pages about our services for
business meetings. We have a range of audio-visual equipment available in-house
so you can combine a presentation with a reception very easily. You can also
add an exhibition to your event .
Music and Entertainment
If you would like to add entertainment to your reception, you can
engage a string quartet, a harpist, a magician, an entertaining speaker. If you
would like a costumned character possibly related to the ice trade or the
canals, why not discuss your aspirations with us? We have the contacts and will
help you make plans. Loud music (e.g. a DJ) is only allowed at weekend
parties.
