Lights on

I was walking across Ham Village Green at dusk when suddenly all of the lights in the arcade around The Hive came on, so I paused to take a photo.

New drains

Flooding has been an issue in this section of Ham Farm Road for some time, I wrote about it in 2022, so it is good to see work being done to fix it.

Border, terrace and house

It has become my habit to end a series of photos of Ham House with one of the back of the house, and this is no exception. The reason should be obvious.

Silver cow

My first thought was to take a picture of the autumnal ivy at Montrose House, then I spotted the silver cow on the roof.

Arch

This is another pretty quiet corner of Ham House that is easy to overlook, especially as it is usually passed on the way out.

Split tree

Most of the fallen or severely damaged trees that I have posted here have been in quiet places, usually along the towpath, but this one could hardly be more visible being on the Petersham Road next to the 65 bus stop.

Kitchen Garden at Ham House in November

The Kitchen Garden at Ham House is always a delight and it looked so good on this November visit that I could not pick just one photo to make my point.

The first photo shows the view across the whole garden, from the corner nearest the house, which shows the layout of the garden with each section thick with vegetation.

 

A closer look at one of the sections shows the mix of planting and the resultant jumble of shapes and colours.

Large web

The Halloween decorations have been few and far between this year and I was not planning to post any pictures of them until. when waiting for a Kingston bound 65 at Sandy Lane. I saw this large web nicely positioned amongst a collage of browns.

Behind The Orangery

The front of The Orangery at Ham Houses faces on to the Kitchen Garden and is naturally a popular spot to rest and enjoy the view. The back of the building has its attractions too and there are benches old and new to appreciate them from.

Blue window

I was first attracted to this cottage on the north side of Ham Common by the scaffolding and was finally enticed by the pink tape on the blue window. This window was white, and the others still are, so I am interested to see how it ends up.

Squashes on display

This seasonal display of squashes in the Kitchen Garden at Ham House packs a lot of interesting shapes and colours into a small space.

Corner building

The layout of the development of social housing around Stuart, Murray and Stretton Road means that there are several triangular areas where roads bend or meet. These appear to be private rather then public spaces with some of them having been used for house extensions and this one has gained some sort of shed or store.

Ham Gate Avenue

Just a simple reminder of how nice it can be to stroll along Ham Gate Avenue towards Richmond Park.

Cream house

Usually painting one house in a line of brick built ones is a mistake but this house on Meadlands Drive not only gets away with it, it thrives, thanks to its bold position on a corner of a recessed square. The climbing plants help too.

New signage

When I took my previous picture of Great Fish & Chips on Ham Parade I assumed that was the final look but since then the main sign above the unit has changed too. This view also how the colour of the front bricks has been used inside too.

Great Fish & Chips has had a few appearance changes in its relatively brief history and you can see them all here.

The face of The Cottage

While most of the work on The Cottage (facing north onto the Common) has been at the back and the side, the frontage is getting a refresh too. The works look to be nearly completed and I am looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Meadlands colour

It has been quite a while since I regularly walked my boys to The Russell School along Meadlands Drive (or through The Copse) and it is nice to revisit it for those memories and for gardens like this one.

EY22 HFN

Battered box

I was intrigued by the work going on on Ham Parade over a couple of days and very unimpressed in the result. The box is ugly, blocks a lot of the pavement and is battered. 

After all the efforts Ham Parade Market have done in recent years to improve Ham Parade and boost its appeal this is a big step backwards.

Keep The Passageway Clear

It could be argued that a polite request would be better than an instruction but I am more interested in why there is a sign there at all as this short path off Murray Road goes nowhere.

SF11 MKO

Lovely shrubs

Just as Dysart Avenue, Kingston joins Burnell Avenue, Richmond, there is this delightful garden showing what can be done without a lawn or traditional flower beds.

Riverside trees

Landscaping is one of the defining features of Ham and these trees alongside Riverside Drive are a good example of that. It is always a pleasure to walk along here.

Little Orchard wall

I think the entrance to Bute Avenue looked better when Little Orchard had bushes in front of its boundary wall and my admiration for the new wall is tainted by that comparison. It is a nice characterful wall with uneven bricks and two slight turns both of which help to soften the impact. It is just a shame that the hedges have gone.

A good compromise

While many home owners make way for their cars by covering the whole of their front garden with a hard surface, this house in Dysart Avenue shows a better way to do things. 

The parking area is limited in size, is an interesting shape and is flanked by good planting. The small fences at the front and the path to the door are nice too.

Getting there slowly

Progress at 23 Ham Farm Road has been so slow that it has been a year since I lasted posted an update but finally there is some news with the removal of the hoardings giving a first look at the modified house. 

The obvious changes include the rear extension, new roof with a window and a new garage. There are other changes too, such as the new white (not grey) windows on the first floor. The rest will be revealed whenever the project finishes.

Just Sudbrook Lane

I was rather surprised when, in 2023, this bus stop got renamed to the long-winded "Sudbrook Lane / the Russell School" and so it is less of a surprise to see it simplified to just "Sudbrook Lane".

Russell Gardens garden

Russell Gardens is a no-through-road that you only walk down if you live there or are exploring. I was exploring and I found these flowers in a neat garden.

Turkish Charcoal Grill

Great Fish & Chips has been on Ham Parade for a little over ten years and has changed appearance a few times. In the latest change, the sign says that they are adding Turkish Charcoal Grill to their menu and the colour scheme has gone from dark blue to turquoise.

Replaced bollard

I am quite amused by the ongoing battle between Richmond Council and bad motorists over the entrance to the small area of parking on the approach to Great South Avenue. In the latest episode the middle of the three concrete posts has been replaced by the Council after some spectacularly bad driving demolished it.

Tall planter

The Fox and Duck used to have several low planters across the front and these have been replaced by a single tall one. While these lift the planting almost out of sight for anyone sitting there they also provide an effective screen against the busy road and any awkward wind.

Autumn colours

Not my first picture of Langham House in its autumn colours and it probably will not be the last either.

Abundance of flowers

Randle Road is a short dead-end road so most people do not have an excuse to walk down it which is a shame because that is where this lovely garden is.

FH18 UJO

GK16 BNJ

This is the second time that this car has been caught parked badly on Ham Parade; here's the first.

New garage

I have been following the rebuilding of a garage at The Navigator's House in River Lane all summer and had I not been doing so it would have been easy to overlook the new building as being new.

Ham House gate topper

The gate at the back of Ham House is appropriately grand and the gate topper is the grandest part.

YC75 FJP

All the other drivers thought it was ok to obey the law and park on the road.

OE54 XTZ

Behind the car is a dropped kerb that I was hoping to use.

Two-tone

Fox House on Upper Ham Road has been caught mid-transformation with grey gradually replacing cream. 

Goat, cow, sheep

I have featured items in this garden before but not this charming collection of farmyard animals.

Interior walls

The rebuild in Sandy Lane has taken shape quickly thanks to the wood and board construction of the interior walls.

Back Lane Community Kitchen Garden

The Community Kitchen Garden in Back Lane looks delightful despite the very dry summer we had. Someone has been very busy and I am grateful for their efforts.

Emergency Throwbag

With the increased swimming in the area, due to the hot weather and it becoming a designated swimming spot, it makes sense for there to be an Emergency Throwbag ready in case any swimmers get into trouble.

Bland

I am not sure what this house in Sudbrook Gardens looked like before its refurbishment, as only a small part of it was visible though the arched entrance, but I am sure that it is bland now with nothing to break up the painted walls and nothing interesting in the placement or appearance of the windows.

There is a hint that a porch may be added and this could improve things significantly, as it has with a few other local houses such as the former Ham Institute in New Road.

Planting off Back Road

There are several alleyways in the area bounded by Lock Road, Ham Street and Ashburnham Road and while some lead somewhere this one, off Back Road and running behind Lock Road, leads nowhere and looked rather tatty as a result. The addition of two semi-circular plant borders has cheered it up considerably.

Hidden

St Richards needs a lot of work doing to it and is still raising the money to get it done but an initial grant has paid for an external scaffolding canopy to protect the building and internal props to ensure the roof is in no danger of collapse. While that is good news for the building's future it also means that any work is currently hidden from external view.

Bright border

Walking along Maguire Drive it is impossible to miss this wonderful bright border.

Ham Close impresses

The view from Ashburnham Road of the first phase of the Ham Close regeneration scheme is impressive. Despite the higher density the buildings are far from overwhelming and the artful design breaks the blocks into smaller visual units.