walk – Page 5 – My London+

Christmas comes to Morden Hall Park

On a gloomy and very cold day last week I met a friend at Morden Hall Park. We scurried into the garden centre shop to have a look around, but also to warm up! We then decided to walk, but it was so muddy and so cold we didn’t get far. Instead we wandered into the second hand book shop for a browse before heading to the National Trust cafe, which has reopened, albeit on a limited scale. We bought soup – I mean what else do you need on a cold day! Although sitting indoors with someone not in your household is not part of the rules right now, we found a table in the corner of the cafe underneath the open windows. So we were away from others and in a well ventilated area. It wasn’t warm enough to discard coats! It just gave us a chance to eat and have a catch-up. It was a very short get-together that day.

Now, as Covid numbers are rising again, there is talk of London going into tier 3 during the week before Christmas. This will mean all cafes and restaurants closing again, except for take-aways. I have to say I am staying away from busy shops. Parts of London are so crowded (Oxford Street) I don’t want to be there. I always try to seek out the quiet places. That’s natural for me anyway, but now even more.

I hope you enjoy these photos, most of which were taken in the garden centre.

The barns – the garden centre and the cafe are on the other side

The river (Wandle) runs along the back of the cafe and the garden centre

Wreaths and garlands are everywhere. This is the bridge between the car park and the garden centre and cafe

Entrance to the second hand book shop and another cafe (sadly closed)

There might still be time to send your letter to Santa, but you need to hurry!

River Thames, Kingston – Queen’s Promenade

With a cold but sunny start to last Saturday I took a brief walk along the river at Kingston. It seemed that many had the same idea! While some were queuing outside shops in the town centre the rest of us were enjoying the riverside. A much better option in my view.

On the other side of the river you can walk all the way to Hampton Court

There are always fun things to see on the river

In a previous post I mentioned Turk’s Boatyard and the connection to medieval Britain and Chatham Dockyard. Here you can see some of their very fine boats which leave from the pier further down the river.

Ravens Ait Island – a venue for weddings and other events

Nearly at the end of the path on this side of the river

Walking back this is quite a dominant view on the road

The Clattern Bridge (behind the blue one) built around 1175 over the Hogsmill River just before it meets the Thames. It is one of the olderst intact bridges in England. (The Guildhall can be seen in the background)

No Christmas market this year, just the Christimas Tree

Kingsdton Market with the old Town Hall and All Saints Church in the background

In the shopping precinct – The Bentalls indoor shopping mall is to the left

Old London Road is mix of independent shops, an antique shop and charity shops

Bushy Park

The day before lockdown ended the weather produced a lovely crisp day. Actually, it was very cold, but the sun was out and a walk was in order. We stopped at The King’s Field (just over Kingston Bridge) where there is a cafe and bought hot chocolates and custard tarts. Then we set off for the path that led into Bushy Park (the park is close to Hampton Court Palace). The park was King Henry VIII’s hunting ground. Read more of the history here.

The light was great and the colours beautiful. We followed the line of the ponds and briefly walked through The Woodland Gardens before coming out at the Hampton Gate. There we walked along a stretch of the River Thames back to Hampton Court. I noticed two houses I had not been aware of before, the house where Michael Faraday once lived and one where Sir Christopher Wren had lived. It just goes to show that all these years I thought I knew this area (we used to pass the houses years ago when we went to visit one of my aunts), things can still surprise you.

It was a lovely day and one has to grab them when one can because we’ve had a lot of really dull days this week.

Along the Thames by Hampton is St Albans Gardens. A house of the same name once stood here.

November walk – NaBloPoMo – Day 29

Gloomy. That’s all that can be said for today. It’s been gloomy all day with that blanket cloud. Even so, I decided to go for a short local walk this afternoon, a path that cuts through a golf course. No colourful little flowers here, but plenty of trees and autumn leaves.

Sometimes you have to walk the busy roads home

Canizarro Park/Wimbledon Common – NaBloPoMo – Day 26

I was last in Canizarro Park during the first lockdown. Today the weather was supposed to be sunny but cold. It was cold alright. No sun though! Even so, it was nice to walk through the gardens and also to see Christmas coming to Wimbledon Villiage.

The cafe in the park (which belongs to the hotel) is still not open, but they do have a van parked next to it that is selling drinks, though I have to say they are expensive for the size of them. Still, on a cold day it was still welcome.

Something I missed on my last visit was the Herb Garden, a lovely and rather secluded place with plenty of seating – an idea place to sit and write, read or just relax.

Wimbledon Common from the other side of the lake

Christmas is coming – Wimbledon Villiage

Fulham, London – NaBloPoMo – Day 25

Bishop’s Park was opened in 1893 by The London County Council and was given by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The gardens are Listed Grade II on the register of parks and gardens of special historic interest maintained by English Heritage.

As well as the planting and the water features the park has playgrounds for children and a skate park, a sandpit, climbing equipment and grassed areas for ball games. Yesterday the play areas were very busy.

Further along the path you are taken away from the Thames for a while as you go around the outside of Fulham Football Club. The club is in the process of building a new stand so there are workmen and lorries everywhere. I have been to this ground once a few years ago to watch Tottenham Hotspur play Fulham. I’m a Spurs fan and it was my Fulham supporter son who got tickets for me and my other son to go. The two of us sat at oppostie sides of the stadium, and too far away to wave to one another! Spurs won that day! You can find out more about Fulham Football Club here.

At present all football matches are played behind closed doors, owing to Covid 19

On the walk back from I took a couple of photos from outside Bishop’s Park. As I said yesterday, the gardens are sandwiched between Fulham Palace and the Thames Path.

Putney and Fulham by the River Thames – NaBloPoMo – Day 24

Today was the perfect day for a walk. The sun was out and it was warm. This wasn’t a long walk, just stroll along the Thames and a quick walk around the gardens at Fulham Palace. The house isn’t currently open, nor the cafe, but I have been around the house in the past.

Fulham Palace had been the residence for the Bishops of London since AD704, mainly used as a summer retreat away from the noise and dirt of London. The grounds were extensive. In the mid 13th century the original manor house was abandoned and the foundations for the new house (above) are from around that time. Over the years Bishops made alterations and built on. The last Bishop left in 1973 when the house was taken over by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. In 2011 the house was taken over by a charitable trust and has continued to be restored to its former glory. It is well worth a visit. See here for more details.

The Lodge at the main entrance to Fulham Palace Gardens

The walk along the Thames was lovely and had I walked on I would have shortly been in Hammersmith. You can see Hammersmith Bridge in the distance in one of these photos. Tomorrow I will post some photos of Bishop’s Park which is sandwiched between the river and Fulham Palace.

NaBloPoMo – Day 20

To be part of NaBloPoMo this year is difficult, especially for a travel blog when one is supposed to be spending more time indoors. We are half way through a four week lockdown, and the weather hasn’t exactly played ball. We are told not to use public transport unless we need to, yet people with cars can drive where they like to visit open spaces and gardens. We don’t own a car so I can only walk or use public transport. So far I have only used the bus for short journeys. Today I used my legs for a local walk along the railway cut and my local park.

If you look there are still points of colour around to brighten up a gloomy day, which today has been. I knew there was rain on the way, so I got out in the morning. By the time I was walking home the rain was spitting and it has just got worse as the day has gone on.

Anyway, enjoy the photos.

Cheam trail/Cheam Park/Nonsuch Park (NaBloPoMo – Day 17)

Whitehall House, Cheam, built around 1500

I last posted here about Cheam in January this year when I visited Whitehall house. This time I was on the Cheam trail before setting off for a walk through two nearby parks. The trail begins at Whithall House and along the road to The Rectory, the middle of which is either medieval or tudor in style and is said to be haunted by the ghost of Launcelot Andrews, a former rector.

Over the road is the war memorial, behind which is the library, but long before that it was the site of West Cheam Manor. It was demolished in 1796. Just around the corner is St Dunstan’s Church, built in the French Gothic style . The lynch gate is neo-Gothic from 1891.

Lumley Chapel is what is left of the old church, part of which is from the 13th century and is another Grade II listed building.

The churchyard at St Dunstan’s is large and interesting and very photogenic!

Next to the church is The Old Farmhouse a 16th century building with later additions. It is thought that the house was used by priests attached to the church.

The Red Lion pub is one of the oldest pubs in the borough. Built in the 17th century. It is now a Grade II listed building.

Cheam Cottage is a 17th century building but with later additions.

Somehow I missed The Old Cottage, which I believe is now a shop. I took a photo of a parade of shops and thought the cottage was the one at the end, but I think its perhaps on the corner by the main road junction.

Cheam Park Lodge, built in 1820, was the entrance to Cheam Park Estate built for Alexander Palmer, a London Tea Merchant. The lodge was home to the estate’s head gardener.

Nonsuch Park is beautiful with many pathways to walk. It is also home to Nonsuch Mansion built between 1731 and 1843 by Joseph Thompson. There are gardens and today the cafe was open, but only for takeaways. The queue was quite long. More inmportantly the toilers were open!

Wimbledon Park – NaBloPoMo – Day 13

I haven’t been here since my grown up children were small, but this is an amazing park.

I’d arranged to meet a friend. There is a cafe here with an outside terrace. Ideal for social distancing outside (which is what we are allowed to do right now with one person not from our own household). We arrived at exactly the same time, though we came from different parts of London. Firstly we stopped for a hot chocolate in the cafe before we walked the perimeter of the park. As you can see from the photo above there are lots of tennis courts, but there is also a lake, running track, playground, gardens, beach volleyball, crazy golf (great to see that’s still here), toilets and the cafe.

The park has always been busy. With schools back it is mainly mums with pre-schoolers, or nursery schools with a class of tiny children wearing high-vis tabbards. Across the lake you can clearly see the All England Tennis Club which hosts Wimbledion fortnight in June/July every year (except this one, of course).

Across the lake you can see All England Lawn Tennis Club

The cafe offers hot and cold food, kids meals and a range of hot and cold drinks. The Vegetable Lasagne was delicious. My friend had a jacket potato with tuna. It only offers takeway right now, so everyhting is delivered in polystyrene with throwaway cutlery. I hate this, I really do, and I am torn between my hatred of throwaway cups etc., and supporting local businesses, which are suffering right now due to Covid restrictions. It’s a hard one. I have my own reusable mug, but no one will take them right now.

The park used to house Wimbledon Manor House and you can read about it’s history here. The nearest train station is Wimbledon and it is around a twenty minute walk from there. The underground (District Line) station of Wimbledon Park is right by the park.