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Ham House in February

I continue to make regular visits to Ham House and I often take photographs there because there is usually something new to see or a new way to see something old.

This time I started with the Orangery Cafe which was on fine form following the recent work on it which had seen it hidden behind plastic sheets for a couple of months.

New trees had been planted at the far end of the Kitchen Garden. I presume that these are fruit trees but it is far too early for me to tell. This is something else to keep an eye on in future years.

There are several wide gravel paths that create The Plats in the rear garden and this is the view along the middle one of the three that run south-west to north-east parallel to the house.

Conserving the conservatory

The conservatory was a prominent feature of St Michaels Convent and while I was never able to go into it I appreciated it from outside many times. It is good to see that it is being retained as part of Orford Place where, I believe, it will be part of Unit 17.

Remodelling in Thamesgate Close

I do not feature the small Locksmeade development that often here because while it is pretty enough it changes little. Now that has changed with a major project at the end of Thamesgate Close.

The early signs are not good with the distinctive arched window being filled in. There is a risk that this house will look out of place with its neighbours and I am interested to see how it turns out.

Roof timbers

Good progress is being made on the new three bedroom homes behind Clifford Road and the roof timbers are now being added.

The roof construction is far more than a simple A-frame and that makes the image more interesting.

Viewing the other roof from a different angle presents a different, and equally interesting, picture for people like me who like shapes and geometry.

Trimmed trees

Kingston Council has also done some major work on the mature trees along the north-west boundary of Royal Park Gate and now they look like three hands reaching for the sky.

Has work finally started?

I first reported on this development in Clifford Road eleven years ago in 2009 when a foundation ditch was dug only to have the work stall almost immediately. Then the plan was to build a separate one bedroom flat next to the end of terrace house; I do not know what the plan is now.

The temporary fencing has been there for a while but the black sheeting is new and suggests that something is finally starting to happen on the other side.

The Ham Brewery Tap

The Ham Brewery Tap is due to join the depressingly long list of former pubs in Ham when it closes in April and so I thought I would capture a farewell photograph of it.

With the Royal Oak/Ham Institute closed and uncertain going ons at the Hand and Flower it looks as though Ham might be without a pub in the near future; unless you count the New Inn which I never go to. Petersham still has the Fox and Duck, which is great on music nights, but that has an uncertain future too.

New trees

I always like to see new trees being planted and I think there are plenty of places like this across Ham where trees could be added without encroaching on other land uses. This is the river end of Royal Park Gate with the foot/cycle path winding along on the left.

Next to the river is the area where Kingston Council did a lot of clearance work and here too some trees have been planted. I hope that these are species of large trees and one day they will grow to be as tall as the trees they have replaced.

3 bedroom homes for rent

I am spending a lot of time in Clifford Road at the moment and one of the reasons is this small development that is replacing little used garages. As with other similar projects locally, the work is being done by rhp (Richmond Housing Partnership) and the new homes are for rent.

The houses are starting to take shape and it is good to see that different coloured bricks are being used to make the houses more interesting than they would otherwise be.

Fog

In February's changing weather we have had a few mornings where the fog has arrived over night and the lingered until well into the day. This is the view from the road along the South-West side of the Common and the avenue of trees across the middle is barely visible.

And this is the well known view from Upper Ham Road looking down the avenue of tree towards Ham House but there is no chance of seeing the house on a day like today.

Mud

The recurring Winter rain has made many of the grasslands locally wet underfoot and nowhere is this more obvious than in the some of the main paths through Ham Lands. This is an entrance to Ham Lands from Riverside Drive where the mud has been made worse by contractors vehicles. I did not use this path!

Tree work

Substantial work has been done to this tree in Buckingham Road. I hope that this is to give it a new lease of life by removing the dead and dying branches.

Test Teach Directions

I have no idea what Test Teach is or why it requires directions but I do like the simplicity of the sign that somebody stuck on the side of the former Ham Institute.

A little job for someone

Richmond Council, with Friends of Ham Lands and others, is doing a good job currently removing brambles in Ham Lands and I hope that they will also get around to clearing them from the stretch of the tow path by Teddington Footbridge.

The problem is particularly acute right next to the bridge where these two benches are almost hidden and have no view of the river, which I am sure they had once.

Ham House

As long as Ham House keeps looking good I will keep going there and taking photographs of it.