Camden is one of London’s hidden gems. Camden’s borough stretches North from the central areas of Covent Garden and Holborn through Euston and Kings Cross into the cool Camden Town area to the green and leafy Hampstead area.
Being generally well-heeled quarter there are numerous restaurants and pubs that allow your dog to rest with you.
It is built on the old site of the manor of Cantelowes. The manor was acquired by marriage in the eighteenth by Sir Charles Pratt a radical lawyer and politician who afterwards became the 1st Earl of Camden. Sir Charles gave leases for 1400 houses to be built on the land in near the end of the 18th century.
In the early 1800s Regent’s Canal was built through Camden, running through the north of Camden Town. Regent’s canal is very popular with cyclists and dog walkers. Summer boat trips are very popular. Until the 1950s the canal barges were drawn by horses and the towropes etched into the handrails over the years and are still visible. There are still the canal ramps, not for boats, but to help the horses out of the canal. London’s largest non war explosion was at Macclesfield Bridge when a barge blew up in the 1870s. For most of Camden’s history it was not a chic area.
Camden Lock is a manually-operated working canal lock. Positioned close to it are many weekend street markets. Camden’s markets are famous and extremely popular, the many markets include Buck Street, Camden canal and Stables market as well as an indoor market – the Electric Ballroom. They sell everything under the sun, including, fashion, lifestyle, junk, books, antiques and strange goods.
During the last few of decades artistic and entertainment companies have moved into the area. Due to the increased wealth in the quarter restaurants and cafes have gone from strength to strength. One of the earliest major venues was the Roundhouse, which was a locomotive train engine house constructed in the middle of the 19th century, it evolved through a number of uses until it was turned into a music venue in the 60s. With a recent re-launch in 2006.
Camden has numerous greens spaces for great dog walking, Regents Park, Primrose Hill, Kenwood Park, Parliament Hill and the large Hampstead Heath to list the big ones, so numerous London dog walkers are based here such as Camden Dog Walking.
The Borough of Camden was formed in the 1965  by amalgamating the London boroughs of Hampstead, St Pancreas and Holborn.
The borough has an ethnically mixed population and whilst in general wealthy, there are some less well off areas.
Camden was and is the home to many artists, writers and politicians,  that include the writers Charles Dickens, John Keats and Aldous Huxley, all types of politician from the politicians Benjamin Disraeli, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes and Frederick Engels. There is also Henry Moore the artist and a bevy of actors and modern rock stars.

One of the oldest pubs in London is  The World’s End  It was also known as “The Mother Red Cap” and more recently “The Red Cap”, it is located on Camden Road near Camden Town tube station. Worth a look is KOKO previously known as ‘The Camden Palace’ a major rock and dance venue. It was renowned as the location of the famous Goon Show. The Electric Ballroom, is another good live music venue.
Dog owners and families enjoy Camden Square which is a short walk away from Camden Town station with a dog walking area and playground area.
The Sainsbury’s supermarket in Camden Road is very unusual and was designed by Nicholas Grimshaw.
If you have time the following are worth a visit the British Library, British Museum, St Pancreas railway terminal building, Highgate Cemetery, Jewish Museum, Regents Park, London Zoo, St Michaels Church, St Pancreas Old Church.
 Biased

Tags: Camden, Camden Pet Sitting, Camden Town, London, London markets, London Pet Sitting, London Shopping

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