The sun was shining brightly on New Year’s Day when I ventured down to the Lido near Parliament Hill to meet a friend for a walk. ‘Parliament Hill Fields Lido was opened on 20 August 1938. At a cost of £34,000, it was the most ambitious and expensive of the thirteen lidos built on parkland …
Hampstead Heath
Happy New Year!
Another cold and grey day to start the new year so I thought we would look back to recent sunnier days in the hope that they will project themselves forward into 2021! The Boating Pond a few evenings ago. Beech leaves in Kenwood wood…. The overgrown edges of the Vale of Health pond…. A wonderfully …
Lichen and Laocoon…
It was very cold and grey today on the heath – but one virtue of the near sub zero temperatures is that they had frozen the mud which was therefore a lot easier to walk on. Heading back through the wooded valley that separates Kenwood from the southern part of the heath I found several …
Waterlow Park and Lauderdale House
When Sir Roger Cholmeley founded his Free Grammar School at Highgate in 1565, Roger Martin (afterwards Sir Roger, Lord Mayor in 1557–8), was appointed one of the foundation governors. It was his son Richard Martin, citizen and goldsmith of London, who would appear to have built the first house on the Lauderdale House site in …
Mist….
The mist hung heavy over Highgate this morning – discouragingly chilly looking although I then regretted that I had not braved it. By the time I did it had lifted somewhat although still giving an ethereal look to my path. Once on the heath, the sun was trying to break through, but without much success. …
A walk to Belsize Park
Another beautiful day after last night’s prodigious rains and winds – the trees statuesque against the blue of the sky. So, from Highgate to Belsize Park – in four sections so feel free to log out at any point. And finally back up to Highgate through the woods.