Harrow Weald

Harrow Weald is an area in London, England. It includes a suburban development and forms part of the London Borough of Harrow.

Locale, geography, history

Harrow Weald is near to Bushey Heath, Stanmore, Wealdstone, Headstone and Hatch End. The area is separated by those parts of it that are on lower ground, the developed areas, and those on high ground, the wooded areas. It forms part of the HA postcode area.

The southern part of the area is a suburban development consisting of houses, schools, shops, supermarkets and pubs (notably The Wealdstone Inn). The area was expanded around the First World War [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22465 British History - Harrow Development ] and then again grew substantially in the following decades. By way of example, in 1901 the population of the area was 1,517 but by 1931 this figure had climbed to 10,923. [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10164620 Vision of Britain - Harrow Weald Parish History]

The Harrow Weald campus of Harrow College sits at the northern edge of the built up area, having previously been a grammar school, as does Harrow Weald Cemetery. The All Saints Church Cemetery and its extension adjoin this cemetery and their most famous interment is the VC-awarded pilot Leefe Robinson.

Ancient woodland on high ground fills the majority of the northern part of Harrow Weald and is the very edge of London (and Middlesex), forming a border with Hertfordshire. The area is one of the highest above sea level in London and the highest point in Middlesex sits nearby the woods at convert|502|ft|m. The eastern part of the woods merges into those of Stanmore and encompasses Bentley Priory. Along the southern edge of the high ground runs the road Old Redding and a car park situated here provides spectacular views over the whole of London. The western part of the woodland forms Harrow Weald Common and other smaller woods that surround the Grim's Dyke Hotel, the former country house of WS Gilbert. [http://www.grimsdyke.com/ The Grims Dyke Hotel ] Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas are frequently performed here. The house is named after the nearby earthwork Grim's Ditch, a 3 mile long Ancient Monument that runs from Harrow Weald to Pinner Green. The monument remains largely mysterious but was known to have been named in the Saxon era. [ http://www.visitharrow.co.uk/ccm/navigation/explore-harrows-history/;jsessionid=aJr_6ymRx4d9 Grim's Ditch] The ditch hints at a long history of inhabitance for the area and many artefacts have been found on the common to support this.

Transport

Harrow Weald Bus Garage is located at the end of the main row of shops and was built in 1930. It is the terminus for the 24-hour 140 service (with Heathrow Airport the other end of the route) and the N18 night bus service from Trafalgar Square. The garage serves the operator Metroline.

Buses serving Harrow Weald:
*140
*182
*258
*340
*H12
*H18/H19
*N18

References