The sun did not rise with the morning light, but hid high above the clouds.
Addington Hills
Sleep deprived I stumbled around, drinking tea this morning after a late night chatting with my brother.
Eventually we got it together and went out into the dull gloomy drizzle to Addington Hills.
The Royal Garden Restaurant link shows an interest and elaborate place.
We stood at the viewing platform, provided by Alderman Basil Monk as a permanent commemoration of Croydon’s Millenary in 1963. We peered into the distance trying to see the landmarks.
A low wall around the platform is engraved with directional lines and inscriptions indicating the main view points, such as Shooters Hill, Epping Forest, (a place where kings and princes hunted and showed off their wealth in the 14th century)Fulham, the Town Hall and skyscrapers of Croydon and on a clear day the towers of Windsor Castle. ( The largest, oldest and most favorite castle of the Queen’s)
Disappointed, we strode off down the steep incline, deeply covered with oak and beech leaves.
We followed trails of Blackheath pebbles, an impervious rock, staying dry most of the time, for a hour or so, alongside the hidden Addington Reservoir. This area of flat grass land hides the containment for the water of Croydon.
The reservoir was built in 1888 and the Valve House was initially open to the public with refreshments being served from the ground floor and a residence above. Unfortunately an outbreak of Typhoid in 1937 was traced to the reservoir and the cafe was quickly closed and the area fenced off.
The drizzle became heavier and we headed back to the car and home for lunch. There was no pub to tempt me this time!
After lunch I wandered out on my own, using the famous A-Z map book of London. One can get lost with this in hand – it contains every road and footpath in the whole of London, plus trains and undergrounds. I was on a flower hunt around the neighborhood.
Of note in the gardens
Bergenia
Bergenia, an low growing evergreen commonly known as pigsqueak; because of the noise the leaves make when rubbed together and Elephant ears because of the size and shape of the leaves.
Daffodils tete-a-tete
Hebe
Crocus
Crocus grow naturalized around trees and up banks. It is a very pretty sight so early in the spring.
While visiting the flowers I was also paying attention to the buildings.
Old Shop
Old house
Both of these old buildings were tucked in between modern building and probably date back to the 14th -15th century.
Flint stone
The garden walls from the street were often made of flint.
The Old Forge
built in the 1700 the old forge was a smithy for 200 years, became a school and then a church after WWII, before the new church was built. the area was all pig and goat farms back in those days.
The walk was fun and interesting but I was glad to be back and out of the rain.
