Ham Common at its best

Ham Common has had a difficult year with wet Spring, a long dry Summer followed by bouts of heavy rain. Despite this it has, at times, looked quite magnificent.

Clearing the fence

Some work has been done on the south-east boundary of Cassel Hospital, by where it joins Ham Parade. The main part of this has been to clear the gate to provide vehicle access to the grounds and the adjoining sections of the fence have been cleared of vegetation.

Towpath improvements

The warning signs that something was happening to the towpath north of Teddington Lock interested me but it took several weeks before I could go and look for myself. I made one effort that I had to abort not long after passing the Lock  due to it being very muddy and me having the wrong footwear to face that.

Eventually I managed to make the journey to Ham House. At first I was disappointed that nothing had changed, the sign may have suggested that the works would stretch all the way to the Lock but they only travel as far as Thames Young Mariners.

When I did find the path I was impressed. This stretch of the path was notoriously uneven before and this is a real improvement. I hope it stays like this for quite a few years and the new path makes it down to the Lock before too long.

The Hand and Flower expands

The Hand and Flower has undergone a lot of changes under its new ownership. Inside it is smart but outside it is becoming something of a mess and it sits uneasily in its location which is part of the Ham Common Conservation Area.

The latest edition is the covered area to the left of the pub. To be fair, this area was already a mess and the seating there is definitely an improvement.

My main gripe with the changes is the abundance of fairly cheap looking signage. The main sign on the front of the building is reasonable but the lights around it, the menu below it and the poster on the side of the building all detract from the overall appearance.

Things got a little worse after I took this picture with the arrival of yet another sign, the pub's name, on the board above the entrance.

Building walls at 59 Ham Street

Progress on 59 Ham Street has been steady if unspectacular but it has been noticeable. On this day when I was walking past the foundations were complete and work had just started on the walls. It seems to be a greyer brick that is usual in the area.

36 Ham Street

There have been a few changes at 36 Ham Street and perhaps the finishing touch is the appearance of the house number on the brick wall next to the new gate. It is lovely.

Divided woods

It is a little unfortunate that Ham Common Woods is divided by two roads, Ham Gate Avenue and Church Road which split the woods into separate sections each battling with traffic. This is the south-west section with Church Road to the north (left) and Ham Farm Road to the south (right).

It is pretty enough but is something of a beleaguered peninsular with Upper Ham Road forming the third boundary to the west.

White door

This white door is made all the more striking by the well-worn path leading to it and the vegetation that has been held back to keep the path clear.