28 March - Another look at Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey park continues to take some sort of shape. The main gates have made
no progress in two
weeks, left in very much a half baked state for all that time but a
pedestrian ‘roundabout’ has appeared where five paths meet. Rumour has it that it will
feature a mosaique.
Hidden in the woods next to the fossil bed is a wooden carving of some
prehistoric beast and rather easier to find, the Monk’s Garden is looking good.
I still feel the path construction is somewhat slip-shod and I was relieved to
hear another walker say the same thing this week. It is anyone’s guess whether
they are going to bed down with the passage of many feet or be kicked up. It’s
not very encouraging to already be seeing the imprints of dog’s paws in the
surface and weeds sprouting here and there.
Meanwhile,
at Abbey Wood station, Storm Katie has put paid to the expectation that the
London bound North Kent line would be roofed over by now and the expensively hired crane lies idle. Maybe the gale will abate by ten o’clock when the hire
period expires.
Those planning to travel tomorrow may be relieved to hear that
the new Dartford bound track is in place, tamped, welded and ground smooth.
The power cables are hooked up and the new signal is working. It has been a
sometimes noisy four days for those of us who live close by and a sometimes wet
one for those in orange on the track, but Crossrail is proving to be a boost for
Abbey Wood like none ever seen before.
Abbey Wood will be on the tube map and announced at stations to Heathrow and beyond every five minutes. It has
to be a good thing.
Note: Crossrail’s crane resumed operation during a
horrendous rain storm (but reduced wind speed) at 17:30. Fortunately I was
passing by at the time with the camera in the boot of the car.