Up till the middle of the 19th century, if you died in London you were buried in the parish graveyard or, if you were sufficiently rich or important, actually under the floor or in the walls of the parish church. Not only was this insanitary but, between 1800 and 1850 the population of London grew …
Holly Village and Holly Lodge
A few days ago I thought I would vary my daily walk by going down the east side of the heath coming back up Swains Lane to the village. (If you were looking at a map Swains Lane runs more or less parallel to Highgate West Hill, north to south on the east side of …
From Sarah in Dorset….
How amazing is that carpet of wild garlic – and just imagine scent that must waft through those woods. Or how about those bluebells…. And here, out of the woods a glorious field of green. And then – to fascinate you – or gross you out – growing up a tree, how about that for …
More on clay ponds and the Bagshot Sands
One of the first things that I read in Helen Lawrence’s fascinating How Hampstead Heath was Saved, was about the unusual geology that has created the heath’s rolling hills: a layer of clay covered with sand. (This map comes from her book – with thanks.) I was reminded of the sands when I walked passed …
Timber!!
As promised, I am afraid that I am now going to bore you rigid with a detailed account of the tree works that took place in the garden yesterday. They do not really look that dramatic but – they do mark the start of the works on Hampstead Lane, which is quite exciting as far …
Action on the heath….
(If you want to see the video you will need to click onto the blog as the email notification does not include the video.) As you can see, swan mum has moved on to the next stage in the annual cycle and now has a brood of fluffy cygnets to look after – and, be …