Categories: uncategorized
Date: 28 June 2005 20:33:13
Had a fabulous morning - with lots of culture, all unknown to me before. First up, a couple of local(ish) gardens, and they were both absolute gems. And here they are:
Choumert Square Gardens in Peckham Rye. This is a private, pedestrian-only street entered via wrought-iron gates. The houses were built to house brewery workers in the 19th century, and every single one has a front garden full of plants - climbers, pots, the works - it is a riot of colour at the moment and the fragrant smells were not what I'd usually associate with Peckham! At the end they have a little "secret garden" with tables and benches, it was lovely to sit there for a while, and I took a few pictures, though to be honest I didn't take as many as I'd like as the path was so narrow and the front gardens all so small that I could have reached into any of the houses, and I was really aware that these were actually peoples' homes. It's obviously an active community, with everyone seeming to make a huge effort to keep the whole street looking wonderful. They open the square each year for National Garden Squares weekend (which is usually in June - check the web nearer the time if you're interested in going). Stunning.
Chumleigh Street Gardens. This is a little haven in Burgess Park (between Camberwell and Elephant and Castle) - again not the most beautiful part of London, and in fact the garden is overlooked by one of south London's most notorious housing estates (the Aylesbury), but it's fantastic. It consists of five separate adjoining gardens (English, Oriental, African/Caribbean, Islamic and Mediterranean) and also does a lot of community work - I noticed a garden which is used by lots of various community groups, including a refugee gardening group and an elder Asians group amongst many others. My favourite part was the Mediterranean garden (which is why I took most photos of that bit), I sat there for ages and thought about life, the universe and everything, and wished I'd taken my pastels and sketch book. It's an absolute gem, and I'd never known it existed (I found out about both today's gardens from a guide to London gardens that I bought when I went to the Museum of Gardening History a few months back). Gorgeous - tranquil, beautiful, wonderful.
On the way back I had half an hour or so to kill before catching my train, so I popped into St George's Cathedral, which is the Catholic Cathedral for the RC Diocese of Southwark. I didn't take any pictures, because you're not allowed to take pictures inside the church, and the outside really isn't much to look at. The stained glass windows were stunning, and I liked that it wasn't too garish there. The few statues I saw I didn't like to be honest - it's hard to describe, but I think the porcelain white Jesus and Mary figures are in a style that I've never much gone for (much like a lot of the older religious art in the National Gallery, again not my cup of tea at all). It was a very restful and tranquil place though, that's for sure, and I'm glad I've added it to my list of places I've seen before I leave the Big Smoke.