Secret garden?

No, I haven’t been out on the heath today – I thought that on Easter Monday I should leave it to those not lucky enough to have a garden of their own – but I have done a bit of ivy hacking…..

However, last week, on my way down my path from Hampstead Lane, I turned up a little side path, in order to keep the appropriate distance from some other walkers, and I found myself at the top of this giant’s picket fence of trees.

There was a rather bedraggled fence on the right so I peered through.

I could not make out whether they were stands of willow, being grown for weaving baskets, or supports for a huge fruit garden. Either way, they looked pretty unkempt so whatever their purpose, it didn’t look as though anyone was using them.

I moved a bit further up to find another bit of broken fence to poke my phone through – and this time I saw what looked like a tiny, grass outdoor theatre with a canvas sail staked over it…..

So onward up the path to another fence hole…

…and now we have a log circle fill with bark chippings….. But still all looking pretty overgrown.

So whose is it? I retraced my steps and tried to find my way round what should have been the other side of this secret garden but both the trees and the undergrowth were really thick and, curiouser and curiouser, the only thing I could see was a rather modern looking satellite dish!

So what is it indeed?……

Some careful scanning of the maps of Hampstead Heath when I got home suggest that it could be The Old Orchard Garden – but, to date Google has not come up with anything actually about the Old Orchard Garden. However, it seems to abut onto the old kitchen gardens of Kenwood House so I am suspecting that it may be something to do with Kenwood. However, right now Kenwood too is in lockdown so I shall have to restrain my curiosity until I am allowed to go and chat to them. I will keep you posted….

Meanwhile, for any of you feeling deprived of your daily walk, this was climbing up the hill towards Kenwood a couple of mornings ago.

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