Last Walk of 2021 - Impromptu battlefield walk

Around mid-day on 31st Mrs Nundanket and I decided to get some fresh air. Rather than parking in the usual spot by Richmond Park I suggested we head to the river. We finally ended up parking in a close in Petersham (a beautiful 'village' near Richmond). My alert reader might remember mention of Petersham on my Shaved Ankles and a Mystery Count post from November. Then when we got to the river we turned left and headed towards Ham. This time on a whim we took a right turn at the meadows and walked towards Richmond. This was very much a walk without a plan. We would end up where we ended up. There was certainly no intention to walk as far or as long as we did (10 miles according to my wife's tracker over 3 hours).

Once on the riverside path we walked along it to Richmond riverside and were half tempted to stop for a snack and a coffee (we'd come out without having had lunch) but it was too cold to queue outside so we strolled on. Past Richmond road and rail bridges, then past Twickenham Bridge and alongside the Old Deer Park (that's former park for ruminant mammals of the Cervidae family, not a park for geriatric ladies). As wargamers like a map I've posted one of our route below.

Start in the South by Petersham, then by Richmond riverside, across to the left bank, then north and east to Kew Bridge (top right). Back along the right bank, taking the detour in red.

Here are a couple of shots of a display panel showing the development of the Old Deer Park. 

No idea what this building is. Possibly something connected to the water.  The body of water in front is an overflow channel on the landward side of the Thames path.

Near here is a footbridge (Richmond Footbridge and Lock). We were humming and ah-ing over which route and decided that as we hadn't walked on the opposite side of the river (not that stretch at least) we would go over and have a look. Once across the river I said let's head right (downstream) rather than back towards Twickenham riverside.

The ornate foot bridge. Note the ominously brown water of the Thames. Browner than usual presumably because of the heavy recent rains. Mrs N pointed out high the water was compared to previously.

So on to Isleworth, past an area of boatyards. I like this aspect of London. I like the pretty-pretty parts like Richmond itself, but this more mixed urban environment I find interesting. Nevertheless Old Isleworth did look very quaint.

View of Old Isleworth. Looks like you could be in the countryside, but is in fact on the flight path  to Heathrow Airport from central London

Folly by Syon House

Looking upstream along the Duke of Northumberland's River from where it meets the Thames.

D of N's River flows into the Thames

Plaque on a house by the river. I had never heard of Guild Socialism before. Intriguing.

All Saints Church Isleworth. The main part of the old church, which I guessed must have been bombed but was in fact destroyed by a fire started by 2 boys in 1943! New church building on the right.

As we approached Iselworth a plan began to form in my mind. The footpath signs showed that Syon House was very close and Brentford was not much further. Now as every ECW enthusiast knows, Brentford was the scene of a small battle in 1642 when Rupert cleared the Roundhead defenders blocking the King's route to London, immediately prior to the stand-off at Turnham Green. I also remembered there was a small action at Syon House in the First Civil War so I could chalk off two 'battlefields' in one. I only really knew of the Syon House action from Charlie Wesencraft's Pike & Shot book, and I have my doubts about its reliability.

What I hadn't appreciated was that the action at Syon House occurred immediately following the fight at Brentford. See here on the UK Battlefields site:

http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/brentfordandturnhamgreen/history/the-battles/brentford.htm

Wesencraft has the action occurring on the meadows between Syon House and the Thames. That seems logical but the Thames would have been wider (and shallower) at that time so maybe there wasn't so much space there then. Also Charlie appears to have conflated two actions which occurred around the same day - one by Syon House and the other involving guns downstream at Kew. As we had a lot of ground to cover I didn't really have time to explore Syon Park for any signage that might mention the combat. The house itself was closed and the grounds immediately next to the river were locked off too.

Possible area for the Syon House action? Shot taken through the locked gate.

After refuelling ourselves with coffee and very tasty, tiny empanadas and cinnamon buns from the cafe at Syon Park, we headed on to the A315 and Brentford town centre. Outside the court building we came across the monument to the Battle of Brentford shown on the UK Battlefields site. What I didn't know until then was that the monument also commemorates other significant events in the town's history.

Three battles in one area is not bad going! Maybe it's the fact that Brentford is located at the confluence of the Brent and the Thames on the approaches to London that makes it a strategic location. However, I'm not sure what existed on the site of London before the Romans - I have a vague notion there was something at Ludgate Hill.

Looking across the Thames from Brentford towards Kew Gardens - the middle ground is an eyot, with a wider section of river beyond it. 

View along the river towards the Standpipe Tower of the former Kew Bridge Pumping Station.  I have a love for these Victorian Italianate towers, probably originating in the thrill I always get from seeing Grimsby Dock Tower. The pumping station is now the grandly named London Museum of Water and Steam.

Interesting old church with a hexagonal tower. Looks like it has been converted to apartments.

We didn't go the (almost literal) extra mile to Turnham Green. I thought it would be testing the patience of my companion to look at a busy urban site where something almost happened, on ground now mostly covered in roads and buildings. Instead we walked over Kew Bridge and back along the river towards Richmond. 

I thought this building near the river in Kew looks like an old telephone exchange. Converted to apartments? 

It was interesting to see some of the sights we had seen from the other side as we walked back upstream on the Surrey bank of the Thames. For example here are two views of Syon House, first from the park on the Middlesex side, and then across the river from the Surrey side.

There's actually quite a large expanse of ground between the house and the river. The river was previously closer to the house. I'd imagine that there was a landing bay.

On the Surrey side of the river there is an overflow channel on the landward side of the footpath (as I mentioned above). This extends from Kew to the Old Deer Park, and there are other sections upstream of Richmond town. Almost opposite Syon House there is a small draw bridge over the channel. Just upstream of here we could hear water gushing in to the overflow channel. Closer inspection revealed that this was water coming from the Thames. Another sign of the high water level in the river.

The little drawbridge. Kew Gardens lies behind this.

View of Isleworth. Very colourful barge on the left.

Closer to Richmond we heard, then saw more water flowing from the river into the overflow channel. And then parts of the river bank which were wetter than when we set out.

Looking down at the sluice with water gushing into the overflow channel. In fact the overflow seems to have overflowed. The river is behind the photographer.

Approaching the Richmond Footbridge from the direction of Kew you can see the grass next to the path is soaked.

We had been warned! Sure enough as we approached Richmond road bridge we hit an obstacle which we would need Wellingtons for. There was no way across it without getting wet feet, so we doubled back on ourselves almost to the Old Deer Park then turned in land towards Richmond Green (a magnificent square of Georgian buildings). Between the river and the Green was the site of Richmond Palace. Nothing remains except for the gate house and the Wardrobe (a building not a piece of furniture).

The obstacle. Dry when we came the opposite way 3 hours before. A man stood watching his  wife/girlfriend walk in the pool in her wellies informed us that the water level was dropping. We weren't confident it was dropping fast enough for us.

Plaque on the side of Asgill House, Old Palace Lane. I think the text should be clear enough. I didn't realise that this was where 'Good Queen Bess' had died.

Looking back to the pool after our detour. This was taken from the end of the ironically dry "Water Lane".

We'd had a thoroughly enjoyable walk and saw some places we'd like to go back to. Brentford would certainly be worth exploring further, especially in 'normal times'. I didn't mention the Musical Museum or the Waterman Arts Centre. It is of course also home to Brentford FC (all but one of my previous visits had been to the old ground) -  I'd like to have seen the new stadium. Sadly the days of Brentford and Grimsby competing in the same division seem to be behind us. There is of course the steam museum. And Turnham Green. Could be worth taking the bus up there from Kingston, then perhaps walk back via Fulham (the football ground is right on the river) and over Putney Bridge and back home via public transport.

The edge was taken off things slightly by the sight of groups of people congregating on Richmond riverside. Social distancing was disappearing by the minute as more people were arriving. Several well-dressed ladies with bottles of champers, some hipster looking types with cans of 'craft beer'. We're not talking about teenagers or chavs. Just irresponsible 'adults' who seemed to think that the change from one number to another was an occasion that they couldn't miss, and that they needed to stand near to strangers, virus or no virus. The daft thing was that a short walk in either direction would have taken these people to less densely peopled areas of the river bank, with places to sit. Rant over.

My mood was restored as we got to Petersham. How could it not be with sights like this.

St Peter's Church, Petersham

All in all a good final walk of 2020. We're lucky.