A spider's life

I noticed this quite large spider with long legs, which by the way are clearly quite hairy if you look closely at the original image before it was cropped. I rather liked that it had a sharp shadow showing in this late afternoon light. I don't know where it has come from or where it is living not having noticed it before. 

I don't mind spiders and rather applaud when they eat up the little insects that tend to infest indoor house plants. It is seated quite close to my streptocarpus plants which are still flowering.