Lost garden

I was both interested and worried when I saw that the front garden of this house in Petersham Road had been completely removed. Change is always interesting but I was worried that there would be little actual garden in the new design.

I was right to be worried. The garden has gone almost completely, there is only one narrow border to remind you that the front of houses used to be for gardens and not exclusively for vehicles. This is now (possibly) the most boring garden in the area.

Odd windows

These replacement windows just do not work for me. The colour is not helpful, it is neither bold nor subtle, but it is the construction that irks. The lack of any horizontal crossbars (transoms) seems odd to me.

NY53 GBO makes no effort

NY53 GBO made it on to my bad parking list simply for making absolutely no effort to keep off the pavement. There are no cars behind or in front of it yet it is still well over the pavement and has been left there despite the driver knowing this and having the space to do something about it. Not being able to park is one thing, leaving a car so badly parked is another.

A final look at the new flats in Cave Road

I have deliberately kept this view of the new flats in Cave Road until the end as it is the best.

This is the main facade of the block with the large windows and balconies facing south to get as much light as possible.

I am really impressed by this block. The shape and style fits comfortably in its surroundings, there is plenty of brick and the grey touches set the whole thing off nicely. This is a stunning example of what new buildings can look like when a little bit of thought is put into them.

The only negative, and I am agreeing with one of the comments made on an earlier post, is the little fence in front. It serves absolutely no purpose, the blocks next to this one just to the right have no fences, and visually it mars the clean lines of the block. 

A final look at Ham Glebe

Another chapter of watching house building has ended with the completion of Ham Glebe in Church Road. It is close to the footpath that links Church Road to Ham Farm Road and it was by walking through the trees from that path that I was able to get this view of the side of the house and the carport beyond.

The house faces south into the trees, as it should, which means that approaching from Church Road it is the back of house that is seen first. That almost works, and the few plant pots certainly help, but I think that the effect is spoiled slightly by having the utility room prominent in the near corner. I find the solid white just a little bit too much and the pipe sticking out from it just too distracting. I'd put another plant pot there.

Behind Ham House

I have said many times (possibly too many times) that I much prefer the garden side of Ham House to the river side which I find too cluttered and messy. In these two pictures I will try to show why.

The beauty of the back of the house is in its symmetry and proportions. It is an impressive array of large windows carefully placed to admire the garden from combined with just enough bricks to keep them in place.

The terrace across the back of the house matches its simplicity and grandeur. It is a lovely place to walk especially when the sun is shining as it was on this day.

New bench at Teddington Lock

Despite there being only one way on and off the artificial island at Teddington Lock, or perhaps it is because of that, it is a popular destination because of the views it gives of the river and the locks and the attractive gardens.

To encourage people to linger a while there are a number of benches spread across the island and I like this new one because of its traditional look and subtle decoration.

The centrepiece of the decoration is the Environment Agency logo in the frame of the seat. A nice touch.

Langham House gets a refresh

Langham House has had a bit of a refresh over the Summer and was covered with scaffolding for several weeks. Most of the work was on the roof but the whole house was seen to and the most obvious thing was the repainting of everything white at the front of the house.

Langham House has long been one of my favourites and this refresh has ensured that it will stay that way for a few more years yet.

Walking through Ham Lands

Possibly the best thing about my new job is that it gives me the excuse to walk across Ham Lands most mornings on the way to work. I usually cut across from Croft Way to Teddington Lock, a well trod path, which takes me through a mix of environments from grasslands to woodlands.

I do not know very much about the plants that I pass other than I like the way that they look and the way that they exist alongside an urban area. With Riverside Drive behind me it is soon easy to lose sight of anything man-made.

Ham Lands looks wild in a way that Richmond Park never does, mostly because there are far fewer people there and those that go to Richmond Park leave obvious marks.

Another visit to Ham House

I go to Ham House fairly regularly because there is plenty to enjoy there and as a member of the National Trust it costs me nothing on the day. I usually pop-in as part of a longer walk and just walk around the gardens for a few minutes then continue on my way.

I think that in all my visits this was the first time that I succumbed to the all too obvious temptation to take a picture of the lavender garden through the hedge that surrounds it.

On the other hand I had taken many pictures of the cute summer houses in The Wilderness but that did not stop me from taking another one.

The Wilderness is my favourite part of the garden as it is the wildest section and the wildest parts of it are the few uncultivated segments made by the geometrically arranged hedges.

One of the other wilderness areas was next to the house but this was being tamed too. There were just a few pots and a mown path there on that visit, plus the promise of more to come.

I am not a fan of the entrance to the house and it took some effort to conjure something that I felt was interesting. I think that it was worth that effort though.

Preparing the entrance to the Huf House

To be honest, I thought that I would have stopped featuring work on the new Huf House in Ham Street by now as I was expecting it to have finished but it is still in progress, I still walk past it regularly and I still take photos of it.

My main motive for taking this one was because I liked all the clutter associated with the construction, such as the mixer and the skip, and even the portable loos. They all add interest and colour to the scene, much as in Tracey Emin's famous work My Bed.

What I liked less was the black tarmac drive which is featureless. I was expecting patterned brick. Perhaps there is more to come. I'll wait and see.