Commonplace

In May 2024, I did a 5ish-mile walk snaking from Bostall Heath in far south-east London through Winn's Common and into Plumstead Common, near where I live, photographing the changing landscape as I went, particularly where the built environment of Victorian terraces and late-20th century tower blocks butt up against the ancient woodland, to try and describe the area's environmental character. The idea was to evoke the feelings of history and endless change that are integral to the commons, the patchwork nature of the landscape, and the political and sociological significance of these spaces that have been communally owned by us all for centuries, despite the best efforts of landowners, property developers and scoundrel politicians.