Anchor

Murray Road does not lead anywhere so most people miss this piece of whimsy. Lucky for them that I was passing with a camera!

New flats in Croft Way

It's January 2008 and surely these flats will be up for sale soon?! I quite fancy having a look around them to see if the interiors and layouts match the location, unlike the disappointing Morgans on Ham Common.

Looking through a hole in the fence

A hole has recently appeared in the fence in Craig Road that forms the rear boundary of the Cassel Hospital site so, obviously I looked through it! Not sure what I was expecting to see but two old rubbish bins was not it.

Mock Tudor garage doors

Normally I am a fan of garage doors, even the lines of them in blocks of social housing, but I think that mock Tudor is taking things too far. Not only is there leaded glass in the windows but the door panels are also decorated.

The doors are salvaged, as far as I am concerned, by the mess that surrounds them, such as the cutely wonky drain pipes. Take a stroll down Sudbrook Gardens if you would like a closer look at these.

Another little green

This is another plot of land that has the appearance of having been left over when all the houses were finished. This one is in the Wates Estate, near Bank Willow (I think!), and is quite well hidden by the hedge that almost completely surrounds it. Again it seems to serve no purpose but that only adds to its charm.

Private gate to Northweald Lane

Like most new developments, Royal Park Gate is not designed for people. The roads are all dead-ends and, unlike the between-the-wars housing nearby, there are no alleyways between them. This means that to get anywhere you have to walk a reasonable distance to one of the exits. The residents at the far end of Northweald Lane did not like this so they constructed a gate that gives them access to the open land by the river. Of course they do not want other people to take advantage of this short cut so the gate is locked. They also planted the conifers that now obscure Northweald Lane from passers by. I'm glad that I don't live there!

Behind the shops

The shops in Ashburnham Road, at the river end, back on to Ferrymoor and they look like the backs of shops usually do with a general air of dereliction and some unsightly containers.

Another brick in the wall

This is the wall around the garden at Ham House. Clearly there used to be a small gate here that has been bricked in. Further along the path is a bigger gate which is still there but which is never opened.

Side window at Avenue Lodge Cottage

Avenue Lodge Cottage is at the Ham Common end of Great South Avenue and has this pretty little side window that looks out on to the bridle path.

Slow start in Great South Avenue

Two weeks into the works in Great South Avenue, as part of the London Arcadia project, and the only sign of anything being done is that some new fencing has arrived. The notice on the top asks people not to steal the fencing. We'll see what happens!

Little green in Royal Park Gate

This little green on Northweald Lane, next to the cycle path, gives the appearance of filling up a bit of unused space after all the houses were built. It is not unattractive but serves no real purpose. I think that it would be a good place to have some public art, such as the statue in Parkleys.

Ham, Surrey, Post Office

The former Post Office is in Petersham Road, just north of Ham Common. I wanted to take a picture of this sign earlier in the year but, as you can probably guess, the wisteria obscures it for most of the year - which I think is a shame.

Landscaping in Royal Park Gate

One of the reasons that Royal Park Gate feels such a part of Ham to me is that, like the other developments (Parkleys, Wates, etc.) , the landscaping is an integral part of the design. This is particularly true along the cycle route that goes through the middle of the development.

Garages in Craig Road

The between-the-wars housing in Ham has separate garages, like these in Craig Road that have a certain industrial charm about them.

Orchard Cottage

Sudbrook Gardens is a small and exclusive cul-de-sac that backs onto Sudbrook Golf Course. This is where you will find Orchard Cottage.

Entrance to Royal Park Gate

This is the entrance to Royal Park Gate as you approach from the towpath. Clearly is it designed to look like an exclusive gated development but the gates are never closed and a main cycle route runs through the middle it so it is more public than private.

Cats in the window

New Road is one of my vary favourite roads to walk along as it is the most attractive way to approach, or leave, Ham Common, and I walk to/from Ham Common rather a lot! This collection of cats is in the window is one of the things to look out for.

Royal Park Gate is part of Ham

There are various views on where the boundaries of Ham are and, as this is my blog, I get to choose what to include and what to exclude from Ham Photos. The Google Earth image on the top right shows the boundaries that I am using. The River Thames and Richmond Park are not disputed, the question is over the southern border. My view is that the border of Ham is the Hawker Centre as it is a clear area of open space between Ham and North Kingston. This means that the newish development of Royal Park Gate, built around 1996, is included in Ham as far as I am concerned. This picture shows the approach to Royal Ham Gate as you walk across Ham Lands from Dysart Avenue. The houses that you can see here are in Biggin Hill Close.

Front garden at Magnolia Cottage

I love the mix of plants in the front garden of Magnolia Cottage in New Road. There are different shades of green, different shapes and different heights, all of which adds interest to what is quite a small area. The odd splash of colour and the backdrop of the painted brick wall help too.

A close-up of the Denes

I have posted a few pictures of the Denes over the last year or so as it was being built but now that it is finished I am able to walk around and take some close-up shots. I took this one to show the nice, if not very original, combination of brickwork, rendering, railings and window frames. Sadly these fine features are let down by the large expanse of wood in the middle of the building. These are the doors to, I presume, store rooms (there is separate storage for bins and bicycles). The wood is far too bright for the rest of the building and your eye is really drawn to the doors as you approach the building, rather than to the nice detail elese where or even to the entrance. The wood used across the top of the doors is far nicer.

LC04 ESV on double yellow lines

White walls, red door, blue pots, green plants

It's the contrasts that I like here. The house, in New Road, is a typical cottage for the area, nothing special, but they have made the most of its appearance by painting it a bright white and contrasting this with a luscious red front door and a few decorative pots and plants.

Nice house in Ham Farm Road

Ham Farm Road has a lot going for it; it faces Ham Common Woods, the road goes nowhere so there is little traffic and it has a nice collection of individually designed houses. The windows and doors of this one are a great colour too.

Front gate at Ormeley Lodge

The beauty of the iron work on the front gate at Ormeley Lodge speaks for itself. I took a picture of the house last year.

Hidden house

At the cul-de-sac where Parkleys joins Ham Farm Road there is this old house which seems a little out of place surrounded by the much newer houses. Finding it was a pleasant surprise.

Nice garden in Ham Farm Road

I quite like the house too but it's the garden that I really like. The circular brick path to the front door is so cool.

Refurbishment in Ham Gate Avenue

One of the cottages in Ham Gate Avenue is having some work done to it.

House under threat in Ham Farm Road

There is a planning application to demolish this house and to replace it with two houses and some flats.

Winter tree

When walking along Ham Gate Avenue I was struck by this tree. I like the strong contrast with the blue January sky and the way that the branches curl all over the place as if they don't know where to go.

Ham Gate Avenue

Ham Gate Avenue is a straight route between Ham Common and Richmond Park (Ham Gate). The wild part of Ham Common, sometimes called Ham Common Woods, is all along the south side (on the right here) and also on part of the north side towards the park.

Peter Vahl's bench

There are far too few benches along the tow path, particularly between Ham House and River Lane. This one is in memory of Peter Vahl and I guess the flowers have been placed there in his memory too.

Sunken boat

These moorings immediately south of Teddington Lock are fairly new. There are usually several boats here but this is the first time that I've seen one that has sunk.

Ham Scout Group's headquarters

This is the Ham Scout Group's headquarters just off Ham Common, as viewed from Great South Avenue.

Tow path south of Teddington Lock

This is the tow path about 500 metres south of Teddington Lock.

Boat crane at Teddington Lock

This boat crane is being used for the substantial works at Teddington Lock.

Ramp between the river paths

There are two paths along the river between the footbridge at Teddington Lock and Lower Ham Road in North Kingston, and the path that is next to the river is about a metre lower. This ramp by Dysart Avenue provides easy access between the two paths.

The Old Malt House

This is The Old Malt House in Lock Road, very close to the junction with Ham Common and Ham Street. It is a distinctive building and a pretty one too.