About Larkhaven

Larkhaven in numbers

Population	241,800
Area	98 km²
Parks	64
Cycle paths	212 km
Tram lines	3 (Line 3 opens on 21 November 2026)
Wards	8
Councillors	48

A harbour city

Larkhaven grew up around its harbour at the mouth of the River Wren. The narrow streets of the Old Town lead down to the quays, where the Maritime Museum tells the story of the city’s life on the water. Read about Heritage Week at the Maritime Museum.

Neighbourhoods

The city is divided into 8 wards:

• Old Town: the historic centre, with independent shops and cafés
• Quayside: the harbour front, and home of the Quay Lights festival
• Northbank: on the north bank of the River Wren, with Northbank Pool
• Saltmarsh: beside the estuary marshes, with Saltmarsh Leisure Centre and the tram depot
• Wren Valley: a green residential area along the river, with a community garden and a recycling centre
• Hollins Park: a residential area built around one of the city’s oldest parks
• Eastcliff: on the cliffs east of the harbour, with the seafront promenade
• Fennick: a growing area of new homes, with its own branch library

Getting around

Larkhaven Transit runs 3 tram lines. Line 1 (Red) links Quayside and Northbank, and Line 2 (Blue) links Old Town and Wren Valley. From Saturday 21 November 2026, Line 3 (Green) will link Saltmarsh, the University and Eastcliff.

There are 212 km of cycle paths, and Lark Bikes has 30 docking stations across the city. Find out about trams and buses and cycling.

Parks and culture

Larkhaven has 64 parks. Riverside Park reopened on 3 October 2026 after a £2.4 million restoration, with a new playground, a wetland boardwalk and 140 new trees.

The city has 6 public libraries. Events run all year round, from the Quay Lights festival in November to the Winter Market in December.

How the city is run

Larkhaven is run by a directly elected mayor, Helena Marsh, and 48 councillors. Find out how the council works.

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