Primrose Hill, where I was yesterday, is very different from Hampstead Heath – a park rather than a heath for a start and a fraction of the size – but still close enough I think to squeeze into this blog. The summit is almost 63 metres above sea level and it does have a great …
More trees – and swans
Do you remember those little cygnets of only a few weeks ago? Just look how they have grown. (With thanks to one of our readers for the picture.) I wonder if that is the widowed swan lady with her new partner… Meanwhile, a few more trees for you but this time not Mr Drori’s trees, …
Around the World in 80 Trees
Yes, more trees – but this time not my trees but Jonathan Drori’s trees – or at least 80 of his favourites. A trustee or past trustee of the Eden Project, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Woodland Trust and a documentary film maker, Jonathan Drori is above all a lover of trees. …
Hampstead Heath Extension – part 2….
So here we are, right at the very bottom of the ex-Wylde’s Farm Hampstead Heath extension, looking at it through ‘The Great Wall’. Well, given that it is only about 500 metres long and never more than 5 metres high, ‘The Great Wall’ may be a bit of an overstatement, but that is what it …
Hampstead Heath extension – Part 1….
The story of the extension starts with Wylde’s Farm (which still sort of exists and I will track down for another blog). To quote from Wikipedia: Built in about 1600, Wylde’s Farm was the farmhouse for one of two estates acquired by Eton College in 1449, soon after its foundation. The Eton College estate originated …
Towards the Heath Extension
If you look at the Corporation of London’s map of Hampstead Heath you will see this weird finger of heath at the top left – which is the Heath Extension. It is a relatively new addition to the heath and like most other bits, has a colourful history – of which more tomorrow. For tonight …