Harrow, London

Harrow
Station Road, Harrow town centre
Harrow
Harrow shown within Greater London
Population	80,213 (Greenhill, Headstone South, West Harrow, Headstone North, Roxeth, Marlborough and Harrow on the Hill wards 2011)[1]
Demonym	Harrovian
OS grid reference	TQ145885
• Charing Cross	11 mi (18 km) ESE
London borough	Harrow
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Harrow
Postcode district	HA1, HA2, HA3
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Harrow East Harrow West
London Assembly	Brent and Harrow

Harrow /ˈhæroʊ/^[2] is a large suburban town in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, England. It is centred 10.5 miles (16.9 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Harrow-on-the-Hill includes the conservation area with a high proportion of listed buildings with a residential and institutional array of Georgian architecture and a few 17th century examples. Harrow gives its initial letters to a wider postcode area. The administrative offices of the borough are in the town which currently is made up of the Headstone North, Roxeth, Marlborough, Greenhill, Headstone South and West Harrow electoral wards; these had a population of 80,213 in the 2011 census. Harrow was a municipal borough of Middlesex before its inclusion in Greater London in 1965. Harrow is home to a large Westminster polytechnic campus and its oldest secondary schools are Harrow School and Harrow High School.

Etymology

Harrow's name comes from Old English hearg = "(heathen) temple", which was probably on the hill of Harrow, where St. Mary's Church stands today.^[3] The name has been studied in detail by Keith Briggs.^[4]

Arts and culture

The first and only contemporary artist-led gallery in Harrow was set up in 2010 by the Usurp Art Collective. The space is called the Usurp Art Gallery & Studios and is based in West Harrow, a bohemian part of Harrow. Usurp Art provides professional support to artists and runs the only public artists studios in the borough. It is a flagship project for Arts Council England.^[5][6][7][8]

Geography

St George's shopping and leisure centre

Harrow forms a commercial hub in northwest London, including a well-connected^{[n 1]} town centre containing:

• two shopping centres
• Parades of shops throughout Station Road and the ascending, traditional College Road
• Over 300 m of a fully pedestranised shopping/café streets roads (north of St Ann's)

Harrow historically included Harrow on the Hill, which sits on top of an outlying knoll and is contiguous with the centre of Harrow. Much of Kenton and before 1716 all of Pinner were parts of Harrow, geographical facts which root the importance of Harrow as a meeting place and a place of business. Harrow Weald, is the district north of Wealdstone, both of which were historically also part of Harrow. Harrow may also include the wards of Roxeth, Marlborough, Headstone North and Harrow on the Hill as well as the Greenhill, West Harrow and Headstone South wards listed above. The combined population of these wards is 80,213 (2011).

Demography

In the 2011 census, the Greenhill ward (which covers most of the town centre) was 42% white (26% British, 13% Other, 3% Irish), 26% Indian, and 9% Other Asian.^[9] The West Harrow ward (covering areas west from the centre) was 44% white (32% British, 8% Other, 4% Irish), 23% Indian, and 12% Other Asian.^[10] In addition, Headstone South ward (northwest from centre) was 43% white (31% British, 9% Other, 3% Irish), 24% Indian and 9% Other Asian.^[11] Harrow on the Hill ward was 47% white (34% British, 10% Other, 3% Irish), 19% Indian and 12% Other Asian.^[12] These ethnicity statistics are not representative for the whole town or the other wards.

Economy

Major employers include Kodak Alaris, the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and Ladbrokes, which has its headquarters in Harrow.^[13]

Transport

Tube/Trains

North entrance of Harrow-on-the-Hill tube and rail station, opposite St Ann's shopping centre

• Harrow-on-the-Hill station (Metropolitan line & Aylesbury Line/Chiltern Railways)^{[n 2]}
• West Harrow Tube Station (Metropolitan line)
• South Harrow Tube Station (Piccadilly line)
• North Harrow Tube Station (Metropolitan line)
• Harrow and Wealdstone Station (Bakerloo line and London Overground)
• Headstone Lane Station (London Overground)

Bus

Harrow bus station is close to St Anne's shopping centre and Harrow on the Hill railway station.^[14]

Policing in Harrow

Harrow borough is patrolled by the Metropolitan Police Service (the territorial police force in London) 24 hrs a day. The service is provided through South Harrow Police Station and Fountain House, Headstone Drive, Kirkland House, Pinner Police Station, Waitrose, Northolt Road contact points supported by 22 Safer Neighbourhoods teams.^[15]

Railway accidents

On 7 August 1838 Thomas Port died from injuries received in a train accident near Harrow. His gravestone in the parish churchyard of St Mary's, Harrow-on-the-Hill, states: "To the memory of Thomas Port, son of John Port of Burton-upon-Trent in the County of Stafford, Hat Manufacturer, who near this town had both legs severed from his body by the railway train. With great fortitude, he bore a second amputation by the surgeons and died from loss of blood, August 7th 1838, aged 33 years."

On 26 November 1870 two trains collided at Harrow & Wealdstone station, killing 9 and injuring 44.^[16]

On 8 October 1952 three trains collided at Harrow and Wealdstone station, killing 112 people.^[17] Of the dead, 64 were railway employees on their way to work.

Notable residents

Harrow is the hometown of renown fashion designer; Vivenne Westood whom went on to become one of the notable pioneers of 'Punk' culture and fashion.

Twin towns

Harrow is twinned with:

• Douai, France^[18]

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

• Harrow Council Homepage