Preparing another construction site

More local garages are disappearing to be replaced with housing. This time it is in Craig Road where two houses are going to be built. The plans look reasonable but, as always, it will be hard to tell what they really look like and how they fit in with their neighbours until they are completed and that will not be for some months.

Post Office on Ham Parade

The bus stop on Dukes Avenue by the junction with Northweald Lane still thinks that there is a Post Office on Ham Parade, but it closed several years ago.

A small FoHL project

Due to several people being away it was necessary to cancel one of the Friends of Ham Lands maintenance sessions but I was up for it and went any way. With just two of us working we selected a modest project and decided to extend another part of the large grass area that we had worked on previously.

The before picture above shows that the scrub had broken up the grass area and brambles were encroaching on the right.

The project was not quite finished, and I want to go back soon to complete the work, but it is already clear that the enclave has been reconnected to the main field and the brambles have been cut right back to make more space for the grass.

More work on The Old Malt House

A minor project completed at the side of The Old Malt House facing Ham Street recently and now something more substantial seems to be happening, judging by the size and extent of the hoardings and the presence of a skip.

Muddy

I was hoping to continue my walk along the towpath beyond Teddington Lock and onto Ham House but I was quickly thwarted by large puddles which I was not dressed for.

Ironically the point of this journey was to see the work that had been done to repair and improve the footpath that had led it to be closed for a while. More work is required I think.

Bluebells

It has been a good year for Bluebells. I took these pictures around Ham Common Woods but they could have been almost anywhere. The first set were by the side of the road in Ham Farm Road,

The second set were clustered around one of the trees in front of Ormeley Lodge.

Opening up Richmond Chase

I had made several visits to Richmond Chase where I was frustrated by a barrier limiting my exploration and then, suddenly, it was moved back a long way to open up the next phase of properties for sale. They are on the right while building continues behind the fencing on the left.

The look and feel of the development is now being revealed. The road is constructed, the small front gardens have been planted and the bin stores are in place. The true appearance will be known once the cars arrive. I am not hopeful.

Clearing scrub by St Andrews Church

Gardeners seem to have been busy across Ham and North Kingston this year and the latest area to get their attention is the patch of Ham Common Woods that lies between Upper Ham Road and St Andrews Church.

Here the graveyard can be seen at the top of the picture and Ham Farm Road is off to the right. In twenty plus years of tramping around Ham I have never seen this area cleared before.

Moving across to the other side of the wide path and turning around to look towards the main road the extent of the clearance is obvious and substantial.