Boat living is experiencing a golden age in London. The number of registered houseboats has more than doubled since 2012 to almost 5,000 now according to the Canal River Trust (CRT). Many see rivers and canals as a real alternative to the capital’s inaccessible housing market. Others opt to live on a boat driven by environmental concerns.

Magnum Photographer Martin Parr documented the diversity of boaters living in the Thames as well as those devoted to these waters.