About Us
Welcome to the Pirate Castle
The Pirate Castle’s London’s longest-running community boating charity – we’ve been flying the flag for opportunity and adventure on the Regent’s Canal since 1966! From our fully-accessible base in the heart of bustling Camden Town, we promote learning, life chances and healthy living through a raft of paddlesport, canal boating, training and volunteer initiatives.
From small beginnings as a kids’ rowing club founded 60 years ago, we’ve transformed our stretch of the canal from an under-used resource to a thriving hub of activity and inclusivity, providing low-cost and free activities for all – including specialist projects for young people, disability, SEMH (social, emotional and mental health needs), elders and LGBTQ+ groups and communities most in need. We also partner with schools, voluntary and support organisations from across London to broaden our reach and maximise our impact.
Today, over 4,000 people access our services each year!
2026 is very special for us as we’re celebrating our Diamond Jubilee. We’re proud to have served our community for 60 years and are ambitious for the future. We’ll be running numerous activities and events across the year to mark this incredible milestone and hope you’ll join us – watch this space!
As the only Paddle UK-affiliated club and National Community Boats Association operator / training centre in Camden, we provide unique opportunities for people to explore London’s waterways, gain skills and qualifications, make connections and improve their health, wellbeing and wider prospects – regardless of ability or circumstance.
Thanks to its state-of-the-art joystick control and hydraulic steering platform, our custom-built widebeam, ‘Pirate Prince’, is the only canal boat in central London that can be operated by wheelchair users and people with severe mobility restrictions. Together with our traditional narrowboat, 'Black Pearl', everyone can get on board and discover the benefits of inner-city boating.
Core paddlesport projects include Holiday Schemes, term-time after school and weekend youth sessions, ‘Upperdeckers’ sessions for over 50s, activities for adults and families and ‘Rainbow Paddlers’ - the UK’s first and only regular paddlesport sessions run by and for the LGBTQ+ community. We also provide affordable services for visiting schools, youth and community groups - along with free activities to ensure that nobody's priced out due to financial difficulty.
Our canal-side castle also offers affordable community space for a wide range of projects and events, from celebrations and strategy days to yoga classes and performances. Every penny raised from facilities and venue hire helps fund our projects and keep The Pirate Castle afloat.
Our free and heavily subsidised projects allow everyone to benefit from our unique approach to opportunity, learning and adventure on the Regent’s Canal!
Video
Unlocking the Pirate Castle
To find out more, check out our short film, 'Unlocking The Pirate Castle' created in partnership with John Lyon's Charity and Media Trust.
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