Clapham Common – My London+

This isn’t a part of London I know really (SW4), yet I pass through it on the tube sometimes, and often through the main line station of Clapham Junction. However, I’d heard of a shop in Clapham called The Hive Honey Shop and I thought it was about time I visited. Unfortunately, the shop has moved its business online, but I didn’t know that when I set off from Clapham Junction station.

The shop used to be in Northcote Road, a long road leading from St John’s Hill, Clapham. The road boasts lots of independent shops and was quite a surprise to me.

My second destination was Clapham Common. I was hoping by then for a cafe as it was a warm day and all the walking was making me thirsty.

We have had some rain at last, and the grass is beginning to recover with a few patches of green. Unfortunately, the trees are suffering from stress and we are now in what is known as a false autumn. Trees are shedding their leaves early. They are brown and brittle.

Clapham itself is quite spread out and boasts three tube stations on the Northern Line. The common has a Victorian bandstand and a modern cafe with those all important toilets! You can read the history of the common here where J M W Turner painted a view across the common between 1800 and 1805.

The cafe made a good stopping place for a cup of tea and a sit down. In fact, I sat on the bench in memory of Jeremy Brett, the actor best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Homes.