Seeing more of Gordon House

With all of the plastic sheeting and a lot of the scaffolding gone, most of the refurbished Gordon House is there to be seen.

Work continues at Gordon House

The work on Gordon House, on Ham Common, has been going on for a long time and it is almost a year since I last posted and update. Finding the fate half open was just the excuse I needed to post another one.

The new garage on the left is the most (only?) noticeable change. Elsewhere the plastic sheeting is still in place at the back of the house.

Exceptionally lovely bricks

Having commented on some nice bricks yesterday I thought I would follow that with a return to The Cottage on Ham Common.

On my previous visit, not long ago, the extension was defined by blocks and these have been clothed with bricks, and exceptionally lovely bricks they are too (a zoom in is recommended). The mix of colours and the rough texture give them character that is completely lacking in the building on the left.

The Cottage grows

The extension to The Cottage on Ham Common seems to be substantial, from the limited amount of it that can be from the road.

Extending The Cottage

I get planning alerts from Richmond Council for applications near me so I was aware that there were proposals for The Cottage on Ham Common and was not surprised to see evidence of work stating there.

Update on Gordon House

It has been almost exactly a year since I posted an update on the major refurbishment and extension of Gordon House simply because while the works have clearly been extensive they have also been mostly hidden behind the high hoardings. And so it was a relief to finally find the large gates open when walking past.

It looks as though the refurbishment of the original house is all but finished, the extension is well underway and work is just starting on a new garage.

The Council raises the stakes

The Council's attempt to control bad motorists from abusing the approach to the small parking area on the north side of Ham Common started with small wood posts in April but these were soon damaged so now they have raised the stakes with taller concrete ones.

New gate to Langham House

This new, and decidedly modern, gate is to the side entrance of Langham House. Elsewhere it would look great but, for me, it looks a little out of place in an old wall in front of an old building and it would be better in black which is the dominant colour of gates in that area.

Still, it is a nice gate and I dare say that it will grow on me.

More posts demolished

It is little over a month since a series of posts were placed at the entrance to Great South Avenue on the north side of Ham Common and already the incompetent drivers of Ham have managed to destroy most of them.

I first reported the posts on 10 April, the very next day I posted a picture of the demise of the first of them, now several have gone on the west side, including the leading one with red and white tape on it, and another has been knocked out and partially replaced.

 

There were two posts on the other side but little evidence of them now remains.

Broken post

Well, that did not take long!

Only a few days (hours?) after the new posts were put in at the southern end of Great South Avenue to try to keep cars parking their to access the area properly and one has been demolished. It was one of the most visible ones too.

New posts

I have always thought that the view across Ham Common towards Ham House was ruined by the cars parked at the southern end of Great South Avenue and that area has been made by inconsiderate driving and parking. Nothing is being done about the ugly view but an attempt is being made to keep the cars in their place with a set of posts.

Jude Gate

I am pleased that the house that has replaced Jude Gate on the north side is also called Jude Gate and it has a sleek sign to prove it.

It was also good to have a quick word with the new owner and to talk about the old house and previous occupants that we both knew.

Tree at risk

One of the planning applications submitted for the various works at Gordon House is 24/T0614/TCA which is for the removal of a few trees, including this one. It would be a shame to see it go as it has a positive impact on that part of the Common.

35

The new Jude Gate on Ham Common has yet to confirm that it is keeping its former name but it has made its number, 35, clear for those that need to know. It is easy to read but is a little too simple for the grand house it announces.

Re-refurbishing Gordon House

This photograph was taken a little while ago and since then the scaffolding has grown to cover the front of the house making it even more obvious that this is a substantial project.

I am surprised at the scope of the work being done as the previous owner did a lot of work ony eight years ago and left the house in a very good condition. I am worried that any changes to the frontage will make it look worse.

Taking advantage of a demolished wall, I was able to see a side of the house and get a better idea of the scope of the work.

Night leak

While I walk at night quite a lot I do not take that many pictures then, for obvious reasons, but I took one of this leak on the north side of Ham Common because it might not have been there for very long. And it wasn't.

Posts

Some posts have appeared in the garden of Gordon House on the west side of Ham Common. Their purpose is not yet clear but anything that obstructs the view of one of the most significant buildings on the Common will be bad news.

Jude Gate in context

The new Jude Gate (assuming it keeps its name) on the north side of Ham Common is all but finished and now is a good time to see the house in context, and it fits in very nicely indeed when viewed from Ham Common.

In style and colouring it matches its immediate neighbours and while it is much grander than both it does not dominate the view.

Let it grow

Whether it part of a formal "No Mow May" strategy or not does not really matter, the end result of Richmond Council's reduced mowing scheme is this impressive array of plants growing in the verge on the south side of Ham Common by Cassel Hospital.

Different greens

When walking along the north side of Ham Common in March I noticed this door being prepared for painting so I took a "before" photo intending to take an "after" photo a day or so later. I was thwarted in this by a car on the drive the next few times that I walked past and I was not able to take the comparrison photo until the end of April. I think it was worth the wait.

I like the new green, it is very contemporary (not always a bad thing!) and it makes a more positive statement than the old lighter green. I also like that they have painted the letterbox the same colour.