Distressed oak

There are few things I like more than wondering around Ham Common Woods, the ragged mess of an English wood that lies comfortably between Church Road and Ham Gate Avenue, but all is not well there and this poor young oak is looking very distressed and unwell.

The Shires

The Shires is one of the clutch of small cul-de-sacs at the west end of Church Road and being a cul-de-sac there is no reason to go there unless that happens to be your home, or you are visiting or you are exceedingly curious. Like most relatively modern developments, it is a little too uniform and so lacks character but a few of the residents have successfully fought against these odds and have managed to turn their front gardens it to something really quite lovely.

New truck on Ham Common

The Bedford Truck offering a sound system for hire that dominated Ham Common (road) near to Cassel Hospital has moved on after three years and has been replaced by this more substantial vehicle.

Neat hedge

I first complained about the messy hedge at Ormeley Lodge back in June 2008 and then again in April 2009 so I am delighted to see that it has now been trimmed neatly back to be the same height as the formal hedge inside the railings.

The Lodge is no longer embarrassed by the way that it is presented and looks noticeably prouder, grander and happier.

No Parking in Bainbridge Close

Clearly the residents of Bainbridge Close (off Church Road) do not want people parking in their road but the bright red sign is proving to be little deterrent with three cars choosing to ignore it. Personally I find the fact that they've parked up on the pavement the greater crime and B 89 AHH is the worst offender almost completely blocking the footpath.

Blackberries

A leisurely walk through Ham Common Woods (this time I was going from Church Road to Ham Gate Avenue) is always a good idea and at this time of year the ripe blackberries encourage you to pause for a while and select a few to eat.

Lavender

The Cherry Garden at Ham House, where the lavender has matured into a crowd of pom poms, is my favourite part and it alone is good enough reason for going there; but I have to admit that it helps that I get free entry :-)

Keeping the door to Ham open

My definition of Ham (and it's my blog so we are using my definition!) stretches east to include Latchmere Close and part of Latchmere Lane.

The southern border on Latchmere Lane is not that obvious and can only be judged by the gradual change from open spaces with trees (Ham) to more regimented housing (North Kingston) but the border on Latchmere Close is clearly marked by this wall and arch.

There used to be a gate here too, and it was even locked at times, but organisations like The Ramblers are fighting to keep our rights of way open. They have my full support.

Gate

Ham House is blessed with several large gates in the tall brick walls that surround and hide the rear garden. It is tempting to just look through the gates at the garden and to pay scant attention to the gates themselves but that would be a mistake as they have a grandeur and a beauty of their own.

Breaking the rules

Not long ago I caught a heron disregarding the No Fishing sign in Ham Pond and now a cormorant is up to the same tricks.

Changes in Riverside Drive

I was drawn from Ham Lands to Riverside Drive by the glimpses of the steel barriers that indicated that some changes were afoot in the section by Croft Way. The pavement alongside Ham Lands has been widened and resurfaced, probably to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists (the sign is a clue!). The road has been filled with no waiting bollards and some large vehicles sit in the distance in anticipation of the road itself acquiring a new surface.