Having had an early morning appointment in London we managed a free afternoon. Heading back home on the busy A4, at Hogarth roundabout we decided to turn off and park up. Neighbouring the roundabout is ‘
Fuller Brewery’ est.: 1845 - sadly it is the last independent brewery left in London. The brewery is housed in an interesting clutter of buildings of which guided tours are available.
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Walking down a very pretty side street we found ourselves on Chiswick Mall - totally gorgeous mix of period properties with gardens fronting the river Thames. The hustle & bustle of the A4 is just a stones throw away, but here we are in peace & tranquility - this is amazing! Walking upstream we pass Hammersmith Terrace, a sober terrace of Georgian houses, but interestingly no.7 was the house of
‘Sir Emery Walker’ close friend of William Morris. The house is now a museum, as it is a rare survivor of a complete Arts & Crafts interior. If you fancy refreshments try the ‘Black Horse’ nearby, though a little further along is
‘The Old Ship’ - the 1st floor balcony gives superb river views. If you are ever in this location do make an effort to stop - the tranquility is wonderful after the buzz of the city.
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Stanley Spencer Gallery |
Luckily we still had time to spare, decided to drive over to the extremely pretty village of ‘Cookham’ in Surrey birthplace and lifelong home of my favourite early British modernist painter ‘Sir Stanley Spencer’. To celebrate his prolific talent the ‘
Stanley Spencer Gallery’ was created - here you are able to trace his huge catalogue of work. Looking at his life studies you can see why ‘Lucian Freud’ admires his work. Sadly Spencer had a somewhat tangled marital arrangement; he died in 1959 at 68 of cancer. There is a huge unfinished canvas in the gallery that gives you a total insight of how he achieved his particular style. A visit to this gallery will definitely enrich your life.
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Hettie enjoying the view. |
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Mid-Georgian porch |
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