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27 October 2007

To Hampstead Heath

Getting to Hampstead Heath is just a matter of hopping on the 210 bus, which stops outside my door. Early on a Saturday, the bus gets to the top of the Heath in about 20 minutes. Today I got off at the wrong stop and found myself in unfamiliar woods. The enticing blue sky had, during the busride, been covered in cloud, so this looks gloomier than it was. In what century were those trees planted along that earthwork?Occasionally there would be a dog walker
or a runner
doing their daily thing.

Somehow I missed the entrance to Kenwood, and walked along beside the fence, experimenting with zoom and flash penetrating (or not) the gloomy woods beyond.
Overhead, the light came through golden leaves (the way it does)
In front of Kenwood House orangery is an ancient mulberry tree, or is it magnolia? Very old, anyway. The house was remodelled between 1764 and 1779 by Robert Adam for the great judge Lord Mansfield, and was bought in 1925 by brewing magnate Guinness. It's now part of English Heritage, and in it hang some amazing paintings - Vermeer's Guitar Player, and a Rembrandt, as well as lots by English artists. And the caf (in the old stables) is very popular.
Instead of stopping for coffee I went to visit the Henry Moore sculpture.Underfoot were wonderfully decaying leaves. Could be used for screenprinting resists....but I resisted taking any home.

2 comments:

  1. I met my DH at a picnic on HH. I love the place and your pictures are so beautiful to me (and my memories)

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