Bucolic Battersea

[bixaorellana]

This will essentially be a walk in the park I took on a bright breezy day when I wanted something low key to do.
There also will be a little looking around further afield to round things out.

The first three pictures are totally gratuitous shots of the Balham train station just because I am always so delighted when I get to take a train ~



See what a nice day it was ~





Ten minutes after leaving one station, I arrive in the other ~



It's a quick stroll to Battersea Park, which from this entrance faces a lush traffic island ~





This fairytale cottage, which must have a been a groundskeeper's home, is now a real estate office ~

[bixaorellana]

The park presents a nice mix of groomed and wild areas, plus quite a few hills.
Too many choices of which way to to go, so I randomly chose a right-hand path ~



Several well-trodden paths have been created up the hill next to the paved path ~













I saw two or three gingkos in the park, all still young and protected around their trunks ~

[lagatta]

So lovely! And you did have a beautiful day.

There is a famous animal refuge there: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battersea_Dogs_%26_Cats_Home www.battersea.org.uk/ It was founded in 1860.

[kerouac2]

It looks like a lovely park. Did you know that most people go to the right automatically? Japanese police discovered that most criminals run to the right when they try to escape, and this improved their arrest statistics.

[bixaorellana]

Thanks, LaGatta. I could see the home from the bridge (yet to be shown) and the train passed over it on my return journey.
It is huge -- two very large square two-story buildings.

It is lovely, Kerouac and much bigger (@300 acres, I think) than what I'm showing.
I didn't know that about turning to the right. Probably explains my being tackled by uniformed men shortly after starting my perambulation.

Moving right along, this is the 24th Division Memorial ~





The small stone you can see to the right of the statue in the picture above is this ~



It is a few yards away from this small but striking monument which is to the left of the statue in the first photo ~







This charming cottage garden is part of Thrive.
The gate stands invitingly open, even though the office was closed when I was there.
More remarkably, there are lovely unpriced plants and herbs for sale, with an "honor box" on the fence for leaving payment ~

[bixaorellana]

And there it is -- the river ~



You can see the park has a long, beautiful walk alongside it ~





That is a bridge and bridges must be crossed. Let's zip out of the park and go cross that one ~





This beauty is the Chelsea Bridge, which has a particularly interesting Wikipedia entry ~

[bixaorellana]

Immediately across the bridge is this military monument ~







A famous name ~







In this apartment building ...



... lived this luminary ~

[bixaorellana]

Returning back towards the park, on the opposite side of the bridge ~





This is Battersea Power Station, currently being developed into "luxury flats".
According to recent news, the "affordable housing" portion of the plans is being scuttled.





I didn't go down there, but apparently it's a pleasant river walk and there is even an art gallery ~



Back in the park ~











~ That's all, folks! ~

[lagatta]

LOVERLY! I loved the wiki entry, which segued into the fascinating story of the Chelsea Pensioners... and even the links with the famous Football side.

[kerouac2]

Before seeing this beautiful report, Battersea was just the name of a power station to me.

[bixaorellana]

Just realized I rudely neglected to say thank you to Huckle, LaGatta, and Kerouac for their generous comments.

Huckle, I appreciate that. The truth is that I am a fiend for editing.

LaGatta, it's so nifty to find one of those great unsung Wikipedia entries!

Kerouac, me too! I mostly went over there because it promised to be a pleasant green space nearby.

[fumobici]

I quite enjoyed following this, thank you. Lovely photos, my favorite part is cottage garden with the deep crimson penstemons and the double somniferums. Not very London though is it? And once again, I am surprised to see the same plants that I see here every day in a place so far away. Pip pip old bean!

[tod2]

What a lot of catching up I've done this afternoon! It has been absolutely wonderful and brought back so many memories I have of London. It was lovely seeing lots of things I have never seen before too! Bixa you certainly have not let the grass grow under your feet
I wish I had come in from the beginning but we have had all kinds of computer problems and then I high-tailed it to Kruger so forgive me dear Bixa for my neglect.
Your photos are out of this world as usual!

[bixaorellana]

Thank you, Fumobici! In what way do you think it's "Not very London"? Do you mean the plants or the area? London is full of huge green parks. You can be a few yards from a road & think you are out in the country.

No neglect, Tod dear! You have a life to live, too. I think one of the beauties of making reports for anyport is that they are there to be seen sooner or later and can be revisited too.

[fumobici]

I should have said "not very big city" instead. London does maybe have more central greenspace than most cities, although in the posher parts what look to American eyes as city parks are mostly in fact private. I felt like I was within walking distance of where those were taken when I saw the wild blackberries and cranesbill. It looks like there are a few rather enormous mostly lawn commons south of the river.

[bixaorellana]

I imagine your climate is pretty similar to the climate in London.

But I think you're working on some preconceptions, too. For instance, "the posher parts" -- what could be posher than Kensington Park where actual royal people live, but which is heavily used by everyone & his dog as the very pleasant public park that it is. Yes, every park seems to have some wide open spaces (probably from when they were actual commons), but there are tons of trees and areas of groomed gardens and -- as you saw in this thread -- underbrush, meadows, etc. Ditto Greenwich Park, even with its huge freight of major landmarks. Obviously I haven't done an exhaustive survey of London parks, but from what I've seen they are much more than simple expanses of lawn. And the parts that are lawn are greatly appreciated, as every sunny day seems to bring out droves of people to picnic or loll on the grass or let their dogs run.

[tod2]

You have introduced me to a whole new 'Battersea' Bixa. Like Kerouac said - the Power Station: always loomed in the distance as we floated down the river, or should I say UP the river to Hampton Court. Then when visiting The Chelsea Flower Show one year I realised there was a large park on the opposite bank to the venue in Chelsea. Then I discovered there was a Buddhist shrine or pagoda which can be seen from the river. Then there was the cats and dogs home in Battersea, but never imagined anything like you have shown us!