New entrance to Little Orchard

The is the new entrance to the rebuilt Little Cottage from Bute Avenue. While not remarkable in itself it is markedly different from the previous entrance which was a gate with railings set back from the road with hedges on either side.

The new solid gate and the lack of greenery in front of the wall makes this a more austere and less welcoming entrance.

Cherry Garden at Ham House

I have posted quite a few pictures of the Cherry Garden at Ham House over the years but never from this angle before, not that I really need an excuse to post another one.

SOLAR sign

Save Our Lands and River (SOLAR) have been campaigning against Thames Water's TDRA (Teddington Direct River Abstraction) scheme for a couple of years and have organised and participated in many events to spread their message. This sign comes from their latest one.

Polo player

We were given a tour of all of the facilities at Ham Polo Club on the Ham United Group (HUG) Annual Architectural Tour 2026 but we skipped this statue so I have no idea who this is or even if it is somebody specific.

Its placement is rather out of the way and I hope that it about to be moved somewhere more prominent, as it deserves.

Kitchen Garden border

While the main beds in the Kitchen Garden at Ham House deservedly attract the most attention the border along the dividing wall is also well worth paying some attention to.

Ham Polo Club canopy

This is a closer look at the canopy on top of the Ham Polo Club pavilion. I took this picture simply because I like the construction.

[This is one of the pictures that I took on the Ham United Group (HUG) Annual Architectural Tour 2026]

Ham Polo Club pavilion

Visiting Ham Polo Club had been on my to-do list for decades (and it was only £2 to go when I first had the idea) so I was glad when the Ham United Group (HUG) Annual Architectural Tour 2026 gave me the unmissable opportunity to go. I will be posting a few pictures of it over the next couple of weeks or so, starting with the familiar pavilion which I had previously only seen from the distant Ham Avenues.

Teddington Lock garden

Teddington Lock is dominated by the extensive works to the Launch Lock, and has been for several months, so it is good to see that the garden there is still looking good.

Dead trees

A few trees were planted along the edge of The Copse by the boundary to the new Clarendon SEND School but the pleas to "Please Water Me" were ignored and they died. 

To be fair, it was somewhat optimistic to expect them to be watered without organising people to do so, particularly when they are not immediately next to any houses. If only there were a local residents association who could do that sort of thing.