Thursday, August 8, 2019

South Kenton to Brent Cross


I walked another leg of the Capital Ring yesterday, roughly six miles from South Kenton to Brent Cross. This is probably the closest segment to where we live, and I often found myself in familiar territory.

I'd never been past this poor house before, though. It has great Deco bones, with that beautiful curved window, but it's fit for the Addams Family. Check out those upstairs curtains! (The note on the door admonished people not to park in the driveway without the owner's permission. Do you suppose someone really is living there?!)


The familiar territory included Fryent Country Park, where I took Olga in February. We encountered the Capital Ring trail markers on that visit, so I knew I'd be passing through again.

I saw two Jersey tiger moths in the park. I swear I've seen more this year than ever -- probably ten so far, including two in our own garden. They must be having a bonanza year.


In the park I passed this old white survey marker, or "trig" point -- and some benches with views over Wembley. You can see the stadium just to the right of that left-hand clump of trees.


This small copper butterfly was intent on the wild purple asters, known as Michaelmas daisies. A hoverfly was zooming in from the left, too.


Of course I passed some bizarre stuff discarded on the street. Check out that telephone table. Seems like it might have some value, but it's not my style and I wasn't about to try to rescue it.

Suddenly I turned a corner and found myself in a familiar place -- a neighborhood I'd photographed for Bleeding London several years ago. (Remember that, when photographers from the Royal Photographic Society were trying to take a picture on every street in London?) It's funny how it all came right back to me. I remembered taking a photo of a huge monkey puzzle tree in a nearby front yard, so I went to see it again...


...and was sorry to see that it has apparently died. I wonder if parking those cars around its base compacted the roots. Sad!


The path led on through the Welsh Harp Open Space, the site of a large reservoir. I passed this impressive stand of teasels, most already past their seasonal prime.


I ended my walk at the Brent Cross Shopping Centre, slightly short of the official end of this Capital Ring segment at Hendon Park, but much more convenient for me. (I could catch a bus at Brent Cross that would take me directly home.) I'll just start the next segment there, so I'll still walk the whole ring.

I didn't see as many stray shopping carts in the neighborhood around the mall as I did five years ago, but there sure were plenty stacked up at the parking lot exit gate. I guess "trolley control" is an ongoing battle!

13 comments:

  1. It's lovely to go walking with you!

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  2. You’ve caught us up! We finished at Brent Cross too, but we had three buses to get home from there. Hopefully carrying on with the next leg soon. Woolwich seems so near now - at last!

    Incidentally, are you following the walk on the TfL website or from the guidebook? We have an old edition of the book which is very informative, but we were disappointed in the level of detail on the website. Wouldn’t have known there was any difference except we 'lost' the book a few weeks ago. We'll be sticking to the book in future as we like to know more about this wonderful walk and all the places we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

    I shall be looking out for Olga on the next sections.

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  3. It's surprising that you didn't "rescue" that telephone table. It doesn't look too heavy. You could have carried it on your head for the rest of the walk and brought it home on the bus. It would have been a lovely surprise for Dave.

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  4. At first glance, before reading your comment, I thought, "Poor house needs a bit of love". I truly hope that no one is living there. Fun walk around your neighborhood.

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  5. I agree with Elizabeth. Between you and Mr. P. I get to participate in so many beautiful virtual walks of interest.
    I'm very sad about the monkey puzzle tree.

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  6. Another beautiful walk. I love seeing what you see there. That telephone table really sparked some memories for me.

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  7. I imagine the death of the tree had more to do with the bricked courtyard and paving everywhere than compression of it's roots. how on earth would it get enough water and nutrients with just that tiny circle of open dirt. what a shame that that house is so run down. I sympathise though. the owners may not have the wherewithal to keep it up.

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  8. I wonder how many people make the effort to walk the trail? You seem to find many interesting things on your walks.

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  9. Every time I look at the Abbey Road webcam, I see a bus pass with Brent Cross on the front of it. That deco house is a real shame. It has so much potential. I can picture it all cleaned up with fresh paint and blue trim on some new windows and of course, new drapes for heavens sake. And, a lovely little garden in front. I can't imagine anyone living in it the way it looks now. Another interesting walk. It is truly sad about the monkey puzzle tree. I hate to see trees in distress or dying.

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  10. OK, I think we all agree - you & Dave need to buy the sad house & fix it up. :)

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  11. That is sad about the monkey puzzle tree. I thought the same as Ellen, how would it ever get enough water with all that brick and paving. What a shame.

    You must wear out your shoes as fast as you can buy them :)

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  12. On the other hand, even a living monkey puzzle tree is kind of ugly.

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