Entering Ham Gate Avenue

Ham Gate Avenue is a long straight road that is usually busy with traffic so it is not very appealing; I would much rather be in Ham Common Woods which is bisected by the road. However, the corner of Ham Gate Avenue and Petersham Road is a small natural gem.

Wilderness at Ham House

The gardens at Ham House are in several sections and my favourite is the Wilderness, which is furthest from the house.

The main feature of the Wilderness is the multitude of pathways created by hedges. Viewed from above, the shape is like the Union Jack with an oval cut through it. This makes a multitude to straight and curved paths that are ideal for games like hide and seek.


In between the paths are odd shaped gardens that are mostly left to grass and wild flowers with a curved path mown through it to connect the entrances.

The best of Ham

Ham Lands is a great place to explore at any time but it is at its best in Spring when the trees burst into leaf and all the ground plants shoot up to fill the spaces between the them. This fine example happens to be the small wood between Petersham and Ham Sea Scouts and the river but there are many places as wild and wonderful as this.

Graffiti at Vine Cottages

Vine Cottages at 191 Petersham Road has had an interesting history resulting in some land-locked houses. Sadly the latest episode in the history is the defacing of the newly built numbers 3 and 4.

Communal spaces

I have said several times that what I like most about Ham is the communal spaces that are scattered throughout the area. Ham Common and Ham Lands are the two biggest examples of these but the smaller spaces in the residential areas are also delightful. This is particularly true in the Wates Estate that is cleverly laid our and wonderfully landscaped.


To be honest, I am not exactly sure where this is as I was wandering aimlessly when I came across it. What started as a small path to a set of garages became a wider path between houses and then wider still with trees and planters.


The best example of these spaces is the set of gardens hidden behind houses in Fellbrook, Broughton Avenue, Kingsfisher Drive and Riverside Drive.

Feeding horse

There are several places in Ham that you can expect to find horses. This one is looking at me suspiciously as he has his lunch by the concrete barrier that protects Riverside Drive from any wayward firing at the Ham and Petersham Rifle and Pistol Club.

Petersham elephants

These topiary elephants are a famous local landmark despite being hidden behind the high wall and solid gate of Whorne’s Place, 254 Petersham Road.

The best way to see them is from the front of the top deck of a 65 bus heading towards Kingston. I tried taking a photograph from there several times but the bus glass was always too dirty for a decent picture so, in desperation, I resorted to simply holding my camera up above the gate.

Extending gardens

The nicest feature of the Wates Estate is the mature landscaped open spaces that writhe between between the houses and garages so it is rather a shame that a section of Fellbrook has made a land-grab and part of an open space on Riverside Drive is being added to their gardens.

Tulips

I like the bright colours and the shapes of tulips so it was a pleasant surprise to find this clump of flowers on Riverside Drive.