BT LOC

It is not unusual to see brightly coloured "LOC" signs to guide people working on film sets and, to avoid any confusion between different film sets in the same area, the first letters indicate what the production is . However, "BT" managed to confuse me. These signs are to the Ludwig film set in Ham Farm Road and last time the prefix was the understandable "LUD" so I am not sure why they went with "BT" this time.

More filming

Filming has started again in Ham Farm Road. Given the location, I presume that this is for more Ludwig which uses a house there as the home for the principal characters while also using multiple other locations in Ham.

New garden

The long and extensive work to 31 Ham Farm Road seems to have been completed with the planting of the gardens. Unlike number 29 (top-right corner) they have created a lawn in the strip that is part of Ham Common and only planted shrubs in the private area.

Waiting for a garden

I have been following the current phase of work to 31 Ham Farm Road for almost four years (!) and they finally seem to be drawing to a close. Most of the front garden has given way to a hard surface for vehicles  with little space left for vegetation.

The small strip in front of the low wall is actually part of Ham Common and so I presume that this will be replanted as will the small strip of ground the other side of the wall where one tree stands as a reminder of the former garden.

31 Ham Farm Road revealed

I have been watching progress on the refurbishment of 31 Ham Farm Road for several years so I was very pleased when the hoardings were removed to reveal the house for the first time. As the front garden is still being worked on it is not possible to make final conclusions but first impressions are not great.

The view from this angle is not disastrous though the grey rendering on the upper level is not very pretty and cheapens the look.

 

The view from this angle is disastrous. The black box has no redeeming features and sits poorly with the rest of the house which it dominates.

A stunning garden

Only a few weeks ago I was praising this new garden in Ham Farm Road and since then it has only got better. Some things have shot up taller and more flowers have bloomed. It is absolutely stunning and perfect for wildlife too.

Garden meadow

I had been watching the new building at 25 Ham Farm Road for quite some time and while my attention was mostly towards the rather nice house the new front garden is also a worthy addition to the road. 

I saw the meadow section arrive, like the lawn, pre-sown in turf and wondered how it would turn out and only a few months later spring has done its work and produced something delightful. When far too many front gardens are being given over to hard surfaces it is really good to see a garden like this.

31 Ham Farm Road progresses

I have been following progress at 31 Ham Farm Road since it restarted in 2022 and it is still very busy there every time that I walk past, as the clutter shows.

While most of the work is at the back there are noticeable changes to the side and front and it is the possible future changes to the front that interest me. The mix of blocks and bricks suggests a rendered finish which could make it as boring as its neighbour, number 29. The black windows do not help either.

25 Ham Farm Road

I had been trying to take a picture of the rebuilt 25 Ham Farm Road for a few weeks only to be frustrated by parked vehicles and some leftover building materials, so I was pleased to finally find it free of obstructions. 

It is a rather fine house, well deserving its place in a road rich in unique fine houses (and some others).

On the rails

My main reason for visiting Ham Farm Road frequently in recent months is the large amount of building work going on but there is also the filming of Ludwig series two happening. 

A large number of people and alot of equipment is used to film a few interior shots; I try to avoid taking pictures of people so here is one of some iteresting equipment instead.

7 Ham Farm Road

Despite the recent large extension on the left, 7 Ham Farm Road s one of the houses included in the modernist architecture guided walk Perambulation Nº27—Richmond to Ham by Stefi Orazi. I think that is because the original house is largely intact and the extension is extremely sympathetic to the original.

It is certainly a house to admire whenever you walk past it.

9 Ham Farm Road

This is one of the houses included in the modernist architecture guided walk Perambulation Nº27—Richmond to Ham by Stefi Orazi and it is easy to see why. Personally I think the protruding garage (off left) detracts from the cosy entrance area so I have focussed on just that.

11 Ham Farm Road

11 Ham Farm Road has features here a few times over the years thanks to its stunning Toad of Toad Hall weathervane and in the process the house itself gas been unfairly overlooked because it is charming and quite distinctive thanks to its windows.

It is also one of the houses included in the modernist architecture guided walk Perambulation Nº27—Richmond to Ham by Stefi Orazi.

Smaller windows

Most of the changes to 23 Ham Farm Road are being done at the back and I was surprised to see that the windows at the front, facing directly onto Ham Common Woods, are being reduced in size with almost half of the space filled with breeze blocks.

21 Ham Farm Road

21 Ham Farm Road gets another deserved mention here because it is included in the new architecture guided walk Perambulation Nº27—Richmond to Ham by Stefi Orazi.

27 Ham Farm Road

With all the work going on around it in recent years it would be easy to overlook 27 Ham Farm Road which would be a shame, particularly as it is one of the properties included in the architecture guided walk Perambulation Nº27—Richmond to Ham by Stefi Orazi.

25 Ham Farm Road looks good

This time, I made a point of visiting 25 Ham Farm Road in the morning when the sun is at the best angle to see the front and on a Sunday when, as hoped, nobody was working there (the person you can see in the house is a reflection!).

The house looks good and the structure of the front garden is good too. This is going to be a fine addition to a road that has a few other fine houses (and some less interesting ones too).

25 Ham Farm Road revealed

For many months my views of 25 Ham Farm Road have relied on a hole in the hoarding or finding the gate open so it is a relief to find the hoardings replaced by a simple metal barrier which allows full views of the site.

It was late afternoon so the sun stopped me from taking a photo with the main house in but it is worth admiring the living roof of the carport and I have a good excuse for taking another photo on another day.

Smaller window

I have been watching progress at 33 Ham Farm Road for months and while most of it has been hidden behind plastic sheeting some of it is visible, such as this section of the front of the house. This part is one of the few that has been retained from the original house and even this is changing as the window becomes smaller. 

It is still a little to early to tell but I think the new brick to glass ratio is wrong and the wall looks a bit forbidding.

Update on 31 Ham Farm Road

After a false start or two over a few years, work has restarted in earnest at 31 Ham Farm Road. Windows have been removed and a trench dug.