Progress at Harrington Lodge

When work started at Harrington Lodge in Sudbrook Lane last year it was hidden behind plastic sheets and now that they have been removed I am pleased to say that the Lodge looks much as it always did, and most importantly the climbing tree is still intact.

At the moment it is wilder that it was and it has grown up a little at this end compared to what it was in 2009.

South Lodge details

This is a section of the back of South Lodge, as seen from Bishops Close, and I chose it for its neat clutter. 

There is a lot going on in the picture with the mix of windows, a brick wall with decorative details and some repairs,  proudly black pipes and a fire escape cutting through the middle, yet the honest design of the original house shines through and maintains a sense of neatness.

New section of wall

The rear wall to Beaufort House, which faces on to Wiggins Lane, has featured here a couple of times before which is fitting for a wall of this stature and prominence. It gets mentioned this time because a section of it has been replaced.

Re-refreshing Avenue Lodge

After being comprehensively refreshed in 2023, Avenue Lodge is being worked on again.

The scope of the work is much smaller this time and from Great South Avenue you can see the scaffolding and sheeting covering the north face of the lodge.

Refreshed lodge

Now that the scaffolding has come down the refreshed Avenue Lodge is revealed, and it is very much like the old version. The colour seems to be identical and while all the signs of ageing have gone it does not look brand new either. That is the perfect look for an old building.

Refreshing Avenue Lodge

Avenue Lodge is in one of the most prominent locations in Ham, sitting on the north side of Ham Common next to the path to Ham House. The high wall on two sides that tries to hide it does a decent job and the house is fairly secretive but when works go on at this scale they are very obvious.

The house was sold last year and it appears that the new owner is refreshing the place.

 

The side view, by the entrance to Great South Avenue, shows more of the scope and extent of the work being done with the exterior wall being prepared for a fresh coat of paint.

Orford Place

Thanks to a recent Ham United Group (HUG) Architecture Walk I was able to get into the grounds of Orford Place and to take this picture of the main building with the assistance of good sunlight and without the restriction of the front wall.

Also thanks to that walk, and out guide Richard Woolf, I learned a lot about the architecture of the site including how the older sash windows, those on the main building, are flush with the wall but the later ones, like those on the building on the right, are recessed. 

It was through clues like that that Richard was able to explain the history of the buildings though the evidence was not always clear and he pointed out a few examples where the sequence of the building was uncertain.

Mullion

Sudbrook Lane is one of the grandest roads locally and so I walk down there regularly, even if it is a longer route than following the main road. On a recent walk there I noticed the clipped trees and thought that this would make an interesting "after" photograph.

The only problem is there is not a proper "before" photograph to compare it with. For years I had assumed that I had a decent photo of the house but all I had was this partial image from ten years ago.

This is a partial image too and that was dictated by the evening sun shining from behind the left end of the house. To take a decent photo at all I had to hide in the shadow of a tall tree. One day I might just get to Petersham in the morning and will take a better picture of Mullion with the sun placed more favourably.

All is good at Cecil House

A few weeks ago I posted a concerned entry about a large gap in the handsome wall surrounding Cecil House and I am very pleased to say that my fears were unfounded as the gaps were there to protect both the boundary and the mature trees threatening to burst through it.

This is particularly obvious in Sandpits Road where a particularly large tree needed a particularly large section of fence to accommodate its ambitious growth.

Montrose House at night

I do not often take photos at night and it was the illumination on the front of Montrose House that persuaded me to take one this time. The increased contrast emphases the symmetry of the lodge and that is what makes it so attractive.

Changes at Cecil House

I have been in the grounds of Cecil House a few times as it often participates in Petersham Open House and so I know that behind this wall there is a path through the trees that any child (or any age) would love to explore.

The sudden disappearance of a large section of the wall suggests that the new owners have other plans for this section of their large garden.

St Michaels from the Common

The former St Michael's Convent on Ham Common is mostly hidden from the outside world by mature trees and it is only in Winter that there is any sort of view. I suspect that this will change when the building changes its use as the new residents will want to be able to see the Common. Then it will be interesting to see how much this aspect of the building has changed.

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.

Beaufort House in Ham Street

Beaufort House in Ham Street is one of several grand buildings that help to give Ham some of its distinctive colour. It sits proudly on Ham Street facing towards Sandy Lane and it was as I was walking down Sandy Lane that this view struck me.

I had seen Beaufort House many many times before but this time the framing of the house by the trees in full leaf appealed to me strongly and so I decided to share it.

Gort House

One of the things I like most when out on my regular walks is finding a door or gate open when it is normally closed. And that is how I came to take my first photo of Gort House on Petersham Road in nine years and over 2,000 photos.

I knew what to expect as I had seen the house many times from the top floor of 65 buses (I always travel on the top floor because of the views it gives over walls) and it was nice to finally be able to see it without the interference of dirty glass.

Gordon House in its finished glory

It feels as though Gordon House has been worked on for ever and I have made a point of walking past it several times a week for all that time to check on the progress of the work and to record the significant developments. Now the work is finished and Gordon House is looking good.

It was looking particularly good this morning while the sun was still able to claw onto the front of the house. 

Gordon House gets it right

Last month I was critical of the new house sign at Gordon House and it looks like the new owner felt the same way and the new new sign looks much like the old one, and the house number has gone too.

I heartily approve. The beauty and formality of the sign are just right for the house.

Major works to Ensleigh Lodge on Ham Common

One of the several major developments that I am watching at the moment is at Ensleigh Lodge on Ham Common, close to the junction with Lock Road.

The number of workmen involved, the time they have taken and the amount of noise that they have generated all suggest that major works are being done but, unlike its near-neigbour Gordon House, there is not much sign of those works from outside.

Tinkering with South Lodge

Bishops Close is another of those annoying roads that does not actually lead anywhere but at least it offers different perspectives of South Lodge, the front aspect of which stares across Ham Common. Walking up there recently I noticed a few changes.

The side entrance had been significantly neatened and given a fresh modern look. It was somewhat at odds with the front of the lodge but as it looked in a different direction that was fine. The new works were sympathetic to the old bricks and that was all that mattered.

Bishops Close kinks around the back of South Lodge and offers views into the rear courtyard. This had also been considerably neatened and improved with crisp paving, tidy railing and some large pots.

Cecil House in Petersham Open Gardens 2014

Cecil House was another of the regulars that was included in Petersham Open Gardens 2014. I went to see it again partially because I wanted to see them and also because it has some very nice features.

One of the best features was, of course, the house itself here sitting proudly above the main lawn. Like many similar houses locally it had been added to a few times over the many years it had been standing there but it wore those additions with more comfort than most.

In one corner of the lawn away from the house was a small tranquil pool and next to that an enticing path leading through the trees.

Masking the rise between the lawn and the house was this trimmed hedge. There were other pretty things to see in the garden, including another lion's head water feature, but it was late in the day by then and I was rushing a little to get the last few gardens in before either they closed or I collapsed.