Digging up Craig Road

While the recent road works on Petersham Road and at Ham Cross have caused the most disruption those in Craig Road are quite substantial with various holes having been dug along the length of the road. 

This seems to be a continuation of the pipe replacement work that has been going on intermittently across the area for the last few years. Oddly, neighbouring Lock Road was done way back in 2022.

New door and windows

This picture is similar to the one I took of this property in Craig Road three months ago though a careful comparison reveals some differences, notably the new door and windows and also the scale of the rather modest extension at the back.

Extension and more

Until recently, this odd pair of semis in Craig Road looked distinctly unloved then two years ago the one on the right was transformed making the one on the left look even worse in comparison, so it is good to see that the second house is now being worked on.

Speed camera

I suspect that Craig Road never had, and never will have, a speed camera but it has a warning sign just in case.

27 Craig Road

27 Craig Road is hidden at the end of a short spur so a large number and arrow are helpful for anyone looking for it. I like that the numbers and the arrow have little serifs to make them look a little bit more interesting and I also like that the 7 has a strikethrough as that is how I have written them for over fifty years, it is how sevens should be written but I am finding it hard to convince my computer on that.

25 Craig Road

25 Craig Road is mostly hidden behind a large hedge but this pretty sign confirms its presence.

Randle Road extension

All the little changes being made to individual houses add up and gradually change the appearance of an area, like this rear extension in Randle Road (viewed from Craig Road) that matches that of its neighbour. Soon it will be hard to remember when dormer windows were rare and something to be commented on.

Another border stone

I posted a picture of an old border stone by the towpath yesterday which is easy to spot because it is next to a larger stone but this one is much harder to find. Actually, it is a little easier to find now that I have pulled all the ivy away from it to take this photo. 

It is hidden amongst the bushes that run just outside the boundary of Cassel Hospital on the green triangle between Dukes Avenue and Craig Road, at the Craig Road end.

The better half

There are two pairs of semis, next to each other, on the east side of Craig Road that do not even try to fit in with the other houses there, or with each other. One of these pairs is in need of more attention than the other and now half of that pair is getting the care that it needs.

 

With one half being done up the building looks like the Batman villain Two-Face with a good half and a bad half.

Craig Road

This street sign gets some attention here because of two unusual things in the typeface; the initial "C" curls in slightly and the "R"s have a small serif on the outstroke.

Lost garden in Craig Road

I shall have to remember next spring to make a special effort to capture some more of the lovely gardens in Ham because, for the moment, it seems to be a story of one lost garden after another. This sad example is in Craig Road.

New wall and paving

I like the colour and the styling of this new wall and paving in Craig Road but am disappointed that the paving takes almost all of the front garden.

34 Lock Road

Clear and attractive house number signs are always welcome and this one is more useful than most as this entrance to 34 Lock Road is actually in Craig Road.

Sub-station

It took a few strong winds to damage the fence surrounding this electricity sub-station in Craig Road and to expose it to view. I thrive on opportunities like this.

Half face

Randle Road, off Craig Road, is another of those no-through-roads that I make a point of walking down regularly looking for interesting things like this.

Modest yarn bomb

As yarn bombs go this example in Craig Road is rather modest and also rather lovely. I love yarn bombs for their colour, simplicity and cheeriness and even a little one like this brings me joy as I walk past.

Craig Road completed

Craig Road has been on my list of places to visit for many months as I have watched two houses replace some garages in an underused plot of land.

The new house sits comfortably between two different phases of construction in Craig Road and while it is clearly much newer it is consistent in style. In particular, the small porches over the front and side doors are very common across several sections of Ham.

The sign to the left of the building proclaims this as flats 27a to 27d.

Friendship Bench

These four cuties are taking advantage of aFriendship Bench in Craig Road. It is a nice bench too.

Bridging bricks

Now that the new homes in Craig Road have risen above the hoardings it is possible to start to judge how they will look when finished, and the initial view is promising. The new building at the front of the site matches its neighbours in style and construction (brick).

What cannot be seen clearly from this picture (I have posted others) is that the houses in Craig Road are different on the two sides of this new one and they are made from different coloured bricks; yellower to the right and redder to the left. By going for a muted brown brick here the new house bridges that gap nicely.

Craig Road closed

I presume that this infrastructure work in Craig Road is associated with the new homes being built there and one consequence of it is that the road is closed.