It sounds too perfect to be true, a floating barge bobbing on Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross that doubles as the city’s most idiosyncratic bookshop.
Little surprise that the book barge Word on the Water is beloved by pretty much everyone who comes across it. The bookshop is deceptively large on the inside, and the boat fits a surprising number of books onto its wooden shelves. If you’re after a specific title, there’s a genuinely good chance you’ll find it somewhere on board.
Don’t just take our word for it. Board the mobile bookstore and see for yourself.
Why visit Word on the Water
It’s no secret that London is full of quirky things to do, we’ve even written a handy book on the capital’s more unusual spots, but this book barge is one of our favourites and shouldn’t be missed.
To support a genuine local business
There are plenty of big-name bookshops dotted throughout London, but Word on the Water offers something different. It has most of what you’d find in a chain store, but because it’s so small, it carries a charming, homely touch, more like rooting through a bookshelf in your grandad’s study, complete with a cosy leather chair in the corner. Supporting a business like this is never a bad thing.
You could find a new favourite
Word on the Water stocks a genuine range, from brand new releases to older novels, and because the shelves change constantly, no two visits look quite the same. They also run a pre-loved book box, £40 gets you between 8 and 10 books sent to your door, and you can specify a genre preference so you’re not left guessing.
The location does a lot of the work
You could easily lose a couple of hours getting lost in the books here, and there’s plenty nearby to make a full day of it. Coal Drops Yard, full of independent shops and cafes, is just around the corner. If you’re feeling peckish, Canopy Market is close by too, Rice Guys’ smoky barbecue pork bowl remains a particular favourite of ours.
History of Word on the Water
Word on the Water was created from a 1920s Dutch barge by Paddy Screech, Jonathan Privett and Stephane Chaudat, and has been bringing joy to Londoners since 2011. Screech and Privett were working together selling books and, as long-time canal people, thought a barge-based bookshop might just work. Funding it proved trickier than the idea itself, it was only when Chaudat, who was selling the Dutch barge in question, liked the concept enough to trade it for a stake in the project that Word on the Water was properly born.
The barge nearly sank a few years into the venture, when a volunteer opened the wrong valve and the interior flooded, throwing books everywhere. It survived, and it’s been fully stocked and afloat ever since.
For years, canal regulations meant the barge had to relocate every couple of weeks, hardly ideal when you’re trying to build a loyal customer base. That changed in 2015, when the Canal & River Trust finally granted a permanent mooring, moments from Granary Square. In 2022, the barge was refurbished and expanded, including raising the roof and improving the metalwork, giving it more breathing room without losing any of its original character. It’s since been named among the best bookshops in the UK by outlets including The Washington Post and The Guardian.
On a sunny day, it’s a genuinely lovely spot, seats line the towpath for visitors to read their new purchases, often to the backdrop of jazz bands or solo performers playing from the barge’s roof. In winter, the woodburning stove creates the kind of cosy atmosphere that’s hard to walk past without going in.
The London x London Take: the 2022 refurbishment gave the barge more room without sanding off its character, it’s still the same cluttered, book-stuffed haven it’s always been, just slightly less likely to bump your head on the way in. Go with an open mind rather than a specific title in search, that’s genuinely part of the fun here.
Need to know
- Where: Regent’s Canal Towpath, King’s Cross, London N1C 4LW, moored near Granary Square
- When: Open daily, check current hours on their site or Facebook page before visiting
- Price: Free to browse
- Website: wordonthewater.co.uk
- Booking: No booking needed to browse; for a specific title, check their catalogue or message them directly
