West Harrow

Last updated

West Harrow
St Peter, Sumner Road, Harrow - geograph.org.uk - 1691267.jpg
St Peter's Church on Sumner Road
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
West Harrow
Location within Greater London
Population10,363 (2021 Census. Ward) [1]
OS grid reference TQ145875
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Harrow
Postcode district HA1, HA2
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°34′47″N0°21′12″W / 51.579710°N 0.353380°W / 51.579710; -0.353380

West Harrow is a suburban area in the London Borough of Harrow that forms the western part of Harrow, historically in the county of Middlesex.

Contents

The area was rural until the late 19th century when the Metropolitan Railway expanded into Harrow. In the early 20th century, the area was developed into predominantly residential estates.

History

At the start of the 20th century, fields and farmland comprised the area that is now present-day West Harrow. [2] Situated on Bessborough Road at the western foot of Harrow Hill, three farms (Honeybun, Roxborough, and Roxeth) were later developed into what became known as the Bessborough Estate. [3] The Roxeth farmhouse still stands and gained Grade II listed status in 1951. [4]

Victorian era houses on Butler Avenue Victorian Houses on south side of Butler Avenue, West Harrow.jpg
Victorian era houses on Butler Avenue

As the Metropolitan Railway extended to Harrow late in the 19th century, residential developments, including on the nearby Roxborough Park, sprung up in the surrounding area. [5] In 1898, development began on the roads in the Bessborough Estate and they were largely completed by 1911. [3] The roads in the estate were named after former Harrow School headmasters including Charles John Vaughan (Vaughan Road), George Butler or Henry Montagu Butler (Butler Road and Butler Avenue), Robert Carey Sumner (Sumner Road) and Joseph Drury (Drury Road). [6] West Harrow Recreation Ground was added in 1923 [3] and house building further west of the estate near Shaftesbury Avenue continued into the 1930s. [7] The Metropolitan Railway marketed the developments of the early 20th century as Metro-land. In John Betjeman’s acclaimed documentary Metro-Land (1973), he stands on Vaughan Road as he ponders the “nice little speculation” at the “foot of Harrow Hill, alongside the Metropolitan electric trains”, “built in the ‘80s or ‘90s”. [8]

The Metropolitan Railway laid tracks through the area in 1904 as it extended towards Uxbridge. Initially, no station was built in the area. However, as the Bessborough Estate expanded, landowners and residents pressured the Metropolitan Railway to build one nearby (Harrow-on-the-Hill being the closest at the time). [9] In 1913, a wooden halt accessible from Vaughan Road was built. The station platforms were reconstructed in 1971 [10] and the station further renovated in 1989. [11]

In 2024, Harrow Council recommended a resident consultation after proposing West Harrow Recreation Ground and parts of Butler Road and Lance Road for designation as Local Areas of Special Character (LASC). The well-preserved quality of Victorian and Edwardian architecture was noted, as was the historical association of the street names to Harrow School. [3]

Governance

Boundaries of the West Harrow ward within the London Borough of Harrow since 2022 Harrow London UK West Harrow ward map 2022.svg
Boundaries of the West Harrow ward within the London Borough of Harrow since 2022

West Harrow lies within the London Borough of Harrow, governed under the local authority of Harrow London Borough Council. The West Harrow ward dates back to 1934 when it was established as a ward of the Harrow Urban District, [12] albeit ward boundary revisions since then have changed the area it represents.

Ahead of the 2022 revisions, focus groups noted the ward lacked community identity. [13] The changes proposed by the council compacted the ward and transferred some areas from neighbouring wards, including Harrow on the Hill, to reflect what the community identifies as West Harrow. [14] Additionally, the number of councillors representing the ward was reduced from three to two. [13]

In 2022, Labour candidates Rekha Shah and Asif Hussain were elected councillors to represent the ward [15] while the Conservative Party took control of the council. [16]

West Harrow is in the Brent and Harrow constituency for the London Assembly which has been represented since 2021 by Krupesh Hirani (Labour). [17] It is also in the Harrow West parliamentary constituency [18] which has been represented since 1997 by Gareth Thomas (Labour). [19]

Borough Election – West Harrow ward (2022) [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Rekha Shah 1,507 54.7
Labour Asif Hussain 1,459 52.9
Conservative Luke Andrew Titus Wilson91133.0
Conservative Caroline Mojisola Ojo84930.8
Green Monika Sobiecki43715.9
Liberal Democrats Em Dean35112.7
Turnout 284140

Geography

West Harrow is located on the western side of Harrow, roughly covering the area west of Bessborough Road, south of Pinner Road and north of Whitmore Road. The area lacks a town centre, but its proximity to Harrow town centre and North Harrow provides residents with walkable alternatives for amenities. [14]

In the area near West Harrow station, Victorian and Edwardian terraces dominate the urban landscape. Many of these have now been converted into flats. [14] Further south near Shaftesbury Circle, the neighbourhood consists of mostly inter-war housing stock, including many maisonettes. There are also shopping facilities on Shaftesbury Circle itself. [14]

In the 2021 census, 31.5% of households in the ward were reported as semi-detached, 28.3% terraced, 24.5% flats and 10.9% converted or shared properties. [1] West Harrow ranked first in the London Borough of Harrow for households classified as Caravan or other mobile structure, with a total of 4 (0.11%). [20]

Demography

Religion in West Harrow ward (2021) [1]

   Christian (37.0%)
   Hindu (19.6%)
   Muslim (18.4%)
   No Religion (15.9%)
   Buddhist (1.1%)
   Sikh (0.9%)
   Jewish (0.3%)
  Other Religions (1.0%)
  Religion not Stated (5.9%)

According to the 2021 census, 39.5% of the population of the West Harrow ward identified as White, followed by Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh at 36.3% and Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African at 10.7%. [1] The ward ranked first in the London Borough of Harrow for people identifying as Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups at 5.66%. [20]

In the 2021 census, 37.0% of respondents identified as Christian followed by 19.6% as Hindu and 18.4% as Muslim. [1] The ward ranked third in Harrow among those identifying as No Religion at 15.86%. [20]

Harrow is the second safest borough in the Greater London Authority area. [21]

Ethnic group2021 Census [1]
Population%
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3,76336.3
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1,10710.7
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5875.7
White4,09839.5
Other ethnic group8077.8
Total10,362100.0

Culture and community

West Harrow Recreation Ground West Harrow Park - Ridgeway entrance.jpg
West Harrow Recreation Ground

Education

Vaughan Primary School and Grange Primary School provide primary education to the area while Whitmore High School (previously Lascelles Boys Secondary School and Lascelles Girls Secondary School) provides secondary education and sixth-form studies. [22] In 2007, Harrow Council successfully bid for a £31.5 million redevelopment of Whitmore under the Building Schools for the Future programme. [23] The new building opened in 2010 and a sixth form block was added in 2015. [24] [22]

Religion

The Anglican church of St Peter’s, consecrated in 1913, serves the area. Falling attendance led to a temporary closure in 1982 before reopening in 1989. [25] The building is considered of architectural interest and was Grade II listed in 1980. [26]

The original site of the Shri Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple was on Vaughan Road in West Harrow. It was established in 1976 but moved to a new location in Kenton in 1996 owing to the growing size of its congregation. [27]

Sport and Leisure

West Harrow Recreation Ground provides access to various sports facilities, including tennis and basketball courts. [28] A bowling green has been located in the park since its inception in 1923 and is home to the West Harrow Bowling Club. [3]

Arts

The Usurp Art Gallery and Studios was opened in West Harrow in 2010 under the artistic direction of Poulomi Desai. [29] It claimed to be the first and only artist-led space in Harrow with Desai describing it as an “experiment to see whether something can even be positioned in that space in that geographical location”. [30] [31] The gallery hosted workshops, exhibitions and other events for the community, [29] with a stated emphasis on experimentatal media and engaging with culturally and neurodiverse communities. [30] In 2019, the lease on the gallery space was not renewed. [32] The site of the former gallery is now occupied by oneforty, a multipurpose arts venue. [33]

Transport

London Underground

West Harrow Station on the Metropolitan line West Harrow stn building2.JPG
West Harrow Station on the Metropolitan line

West Harrow Station is on the Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan line. Trains run northbound services to Uxbridge via Rayners Lane and southbound into central London via Harrow-on-the-Hill. [34]

Bus routes

Bus services don’t serve the station directly. There are stops nearby on Pinner Road (A404) for the H19 and 183 routes and on Treve Avenue for the H11, 140 and 114 routes. [35] [36] The 640 school service and the N140 night bus also stop on Treve Avenue.

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinner</span> Area of north west London

Pinner is a suburb in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, England, 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Charing Cross, close to the border with Hillingdon, historically in the county of Middlesex. The population was 38,698 in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Brent</span> Local government district in London

Brent is a borough in north-west London, England. It is known for landmarks such as Wembley Stadium, the Swaminarayan Temple and the Kiln Theatre. It also contains the Welsh Harp reservoir and the Park Royal commercial estate. The local authority is Brent London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wealdstone</span> Human settlement in England

Wealdstone is a district located in the centre of the London Borough of Harrow, England. It is located just north of Harrow town centre and is south of Harrow Weald, west of Belmont and Kenton, and east of Headstone. The area accommodates most of Harrow's industrial and business designated land. Wealdstone was the location of the Kodak Harrow factory; it closed in 2016. Wealdstone is centred on the High Street, and much traffic is bypassed from here by the George Gange Way flyover built in 1996. Its western boundary is formed by Harrow View, across which Headstone Manor lies, whereas on the east is Byron Park and the Belmont Trail. Harrow & Wealdstone station and the council offices are located at its southern end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Harrow</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough in northwest London, England; it forms part of Outer London. It borders four other London boroughs – Barnet to the east of ancient Watling Street, Brent to the southeast, Ealing to the south and Hillingdon to the west and the Hertfordshire districts of Three Rivers and Hertsmere to the north. The local authority is Harrow London Borough Council. The London borough was formed in 1965, based on boundaries that had been established in 1934. The borough is made up of three towns: Harrow, Pinner and Stanmore, but also includes western parts of Edgware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leytonstone</span> Area of east London, England

Leytonstone is an area in East London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, Stratford to the south-west, Leyton to the west, and Walthamstow to the north-west, and is 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow, London</span> Town in Greater London, England

Harrow is a large town in Greater London, England, and serves as the principal settlement of the London Borough of Harrow. Lying about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north-west of Charing Cross and 5.4 miles (8.7 km) south of Watford, the entire town including its localities had a population of 149,246 at the 2011 census, whereas the wider borough had a population of 250,149.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnt Oak</span> Human settlement in England

Burnt Oak is a suburb of London, England, located 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It lies to the west of the M1 motorway between Edgware and Colindale, located predominantly in the London Borough of Barnet, with parts in the London Boroughs of Brent and Harrow. It was part of Middlesex until it was transferred to Greater London in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow West (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1945 onwards

Harrow West is a constituency in Greater London created in 1945 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Until 1997, it only returned Conservative MPs; since then, it has elected the Labour Co-operative MP Gareth Thomas on a fluctuating majority. Since 2010, this has been bolstered by the loss of Pinner from the seat and the gain of a favourable ward for Labour from Harrow East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow on the Hill</span> Residential area of north west London, England

Harrow on the Hill or Harrow-on-the-Hill is a locality and historic village in the borough of Harrow in Greater London, England. The name refers to Harrow Hill, 408 feet (124 m), and is located some half a mile south of the modern town of Harrow. The village dates back to early medieval times, built around the 11th-century St Mary's Church, and is the location of Harrow, St Dominic's and John Lyon schools.

South Harrow is the southern part of the town of Harrow, located south-west of Harrow-on-the-Hill in the London Borough of Harrow. Its development originally spread south and west from the hamlet of Roxeth in the urbanisation process and easier access from Central London by rail. Six roads now converge at Roxeth hamlet centre at the bottom of Roxeth Hill. Its areas include, in the west, the area of Shaftesbury Circus/Avenue and in the south a shopping area, South Harrow tube station and the high street, Northolt Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rayners Lane</span> Road and area in London

Rayners Lane is a suburban district in the London Borough of Harrow that forms the western part of Harrow in northwest London. Located between Pinner and West Harrow, it takes its name from a road in the area, also called Rayners Lane which runs from Marsh Road in Pinner to Eastcote Lane in South Harrow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxeth</span> Human settlement in England

Roxeth was a hamlet in the ancient Harrow on the Hill parish, which now forms part of the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow Road</span> Street in London

Harrow Road is an ancient route in North West London which runs from Paddington in a northwesterly direction towards Harrow. It is also the name given to the immediate surrounding area of Queens Park and Kensal Green, straddling the NW10, W10, W2 and W9 postcodes. With minor deviations in the 19th and 20th centuries, the route remains otherwise unaltered.

Greenhill was an ecclesiastical parish and present day ward with similar but not identical boundaries in the London Borough of Harrow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwick Park</span>

Northwick Park is a large green public park between Harrow and Kenton in north-west London, forming part of the London Borough of Brent. Most of the park consists of playing fields. It is also the name of the electoral ward of Brent that covers the park, the area around its namesake station, and most of North Wembley. The park lies in between Northwick Park station and South Kenton station station with the former being at the north-end of the park and the latter in the south-end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horn Park</span> Area of south east London

Horn Park is an area of south east London south west of Eltham. It is located 12.5 km (7.8 mi) southeast of Charing Cross on the southwest edge of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and borders both the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Bromley. There is a public park also named Horn Park and two schools in the area. The River Quaggy flows northward though Horn Park, and the suburb is covered by the postcode district SE12, which was previously called the Lee postal district. There is community centre located in Horn Park Estate on Sibthorpe Road, that hosts a number of activities, such as Christian, council and MP meetings, and numerous classes including dance, karate and English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Well Hall</span> Human settlement in England

Well Hall is a place to the north of Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in southeast London, England, with no present formal boundaries and located 13.5 km (8.4 mi) east-southeast of Charing Cross. In the past Well Hall was the grounds of a manor house, and then a hamlet. Today it is a largely residential suburb and housing estate absorbed by the development of Eltham and London. It is centred on the main road between Eltham and Woolwich, on which many shops and businesses are located. Several major A roads including the South Circular Road and A2 road pass through the area, as does a railway line, serving Eltham station which is located in Well Hall. The Postcode that covers Well Hall and most of the Eltham area is SE9, and the 020 dialing covers the entire Royal Borough of Greenwich. Well Hall is split across two electoral wards, Eltham West on the west side of Well Hall Road, and Eltham North on the east side of Well Hall Road. In 2015 the population of these two wards combined was recorded as 24,621, although the wards cover a larger area than just Well Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Harrow London Borough Council election</span> 2022 local election in Harrow

The 2022 Harrow London Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. All 55 members of Harrow London Borough Council were elected. The elections took place alongside local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tarn</span> UK nature reserve

The Tarn is a 9 acres (3.6 ha) site on Court Road between Mottingham and Eltham, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, southeast London, United Kingdom, consisting of a public garden, a bird sanctuary nature reserve and a lake amongst woodland. The woodland and lake, which was historically known as Starbuck's Pond, were previously the southern part of the Great Park, one of three parks belonging to the estate of Eltham Palace and used as a royal deer hunting park for several centuries up until the English Civil War. As a garden The Tarn opened in 1935, after the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich acquired the site from the adjacent Royal Blackheath Golf Course. The Tarn remains largely unchanged since the 1930s and contains several shelters, benches, a public toilets building and a circular path which crosses a wooden footbridge spanning the lake. There is also an 18th-century ice house in the garden, which is a listed structure.

References

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2021 Census Area Profile - West Harrow ward (as of 2022), Harrow Local Authority". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  2. ↑ Ordnance Survey (1897). Middlesex Sheet X. S.E. (Map) (Second ed.). Six-inch to the mile. OS.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "LSAC Report (2024)" (PDF). harrow.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  4. ↑ "Roxeth Farmhouse Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  5. ↑ "Roxborough Park Character Appraisal" (PDF). harrow.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 "LSAC Report (2022)" (PDF). harrow.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  7. ↑ Ordnance Survey (1935). Middlesex Sheet X. S.E. (Map). Six-inch to the mile. OS.
  8. ↑ Betjeman, John (host) (26 February 1973). "Metro-Land (1973)". Metro-Land. BBC.
  9. ↑ "Historic November". machorne.wordpress.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  10. ↑ "LTM Collections, Platform reconstruction work at West Harrow Underground station". www.ltmuseum.co.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  11. ↑ "West Harrow Community News". Harrow Observer. 14 September 1989.
  12. ↑ "Harrow, including Pinner: Local government and public services". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  13. 1 2 "2022 Ward Boundary Changes" (PDF). www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "2022 Ward Boundary Changes Draft Proposals". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  15. 1 2 "Election results for West Harrow, 5 May 2022". 5 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "2022 Harrow Council Election Results". harrowtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Brent and Harrow constituency". www.london.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  18. ↑ "Parliamentary Constituencies". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  19. ↑ "Gareth Thomas (MP)". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 "2021 Census Insights". areainsights.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "Crime and Safety in Harrow". CrimeRate Co. 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  22. 1 2 "A brief history of Whitmore High School in Harrow". harrowonline.org. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  23. ↑ "Cabinet Report Whitmore High School" (PDF). harrow.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  24. ↑ "Whitmore High School in South Harrow opens hi-tech new building". www.harrowtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  25. ↑ "St Peter's Church celebrates 100 years in the community". www.harrowtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  26. ↑ "Church of St Peter". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  27. ↑ "Temple History". www.sksst.org. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  28. ↑ "West Harrow Recreation Ground". www.harrow.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  29. 1 2 3 "New art gallery for West Harrow". www.mylondon.news. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  30. 1 2 "About Usurp Art". www.usurp.org.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  31. ↑ "Usurp Art Gallery looks to the future". www.mylondon.news. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  32. ↑ "Usurp art gallery and studios launch campaign to find new venue". www.thewire.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  33. ↑ "About oneforty". www.onefortyharrow.com. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  34. ↑ "West Harrow Underground Station". tfl.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  35. ↑ "Rutland Road". tfl.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  36. ↑ "Treve Avenue". tfl.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  37. ↑ "Professional musicians support Harrow Young Musicians' grant appeal". www.mylondon.news. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  38. ↑ Wakeman 1995, p. 103
  39. ↑ "Alex Webb from Harrow has written and produced a musical about the golden age of jazz, writes Rosy Moorhead". www.harrowtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.