This is the 15th station on the Metropolitan Line that I have visited. The station is the first one after the mainline splits with this branch line ending at Uxbridge. It took me an hour and a half to get here from my local rail station. I have now reached that point where the travelling to and from these far flung stations will take longer than the walk around the area,
The small station with its two platforms was built in 1904 when the line was extended to Uxbridge.
To get from one platform to the other you have to descend to street level, leave the station go under the railway bridge and enter the station from the other side.
The main station building is built for passengers wanting trains travelling south towards central London.
Prior to the 20th century the area was mainly rural. The new West Harrow station encouraged a steady growth of housing developments fanning out from the station.
As I walked down the road from the station I noticed the offices of the local Member of Parliament. He is a Labour MP and has been representing this area since 1997 which is a remarkably long time to be in office.
I walked around a few streets and came across a small high street with a variety of shops but unusually couldn't see a cafe or coffee shop amongst them.
I have noticed a number of these safety deposit centres on my travels. They advertise vaults with the highest security technology and specialise in protecting your high value assets and cash. Not much use to me then.
It is a very residential area so not much of interest really. This is Harrow Cemetery. The land for the cemetery was bought by Harrow cemetery Board in 1887. Today there is no longer any space for new public burials. Instead the cemetery is designated as a site of local importance for Nature Conservation. Its grassland is its most important wildlife feature. It is now cut twice a year, once in Spring to remove winter growth and then early summer to encourage wildflowers and wildlife,
Sadly I spotted signs of vandalism as I walked through the cemetery.
Running alongside the cemetery is Harrow Recreation Ground. The Park opened in 1885 just a couple of years before the cemetery was opened. It cost £3000 for 14 acres.: 4 acres for public use and the other 10 acres to be leased to sports clubs. Further land was added in 1889. Whilst there I got the impression that it is well used with a number of people walking on the path around the park.Next to the cafe this group were engaged in tai chi.
A Giant Redwood was planted in the park in memory of those who died in captivity in the Far East 1941-45.
There were the usual facilities in the park of an outdoor gym, football pitches, tennis and basketball courts as well as a children's' playground. The Public Health Act of 1848 required councils to provide parks. Play equipment has been installed in parks ever since.
There is also a fenced in Peace Garden which was set up in 2020 to commemorate the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandi. It provides a seated quiet area for those wishing to take some time out. Winter didn't do it justice but I'm sure in the Spring and Summer it looks completely different.
I left the park and walked down more streets full of houses.
I came across this large church. Research informed me it was consecrated in 1911. The church was closed so I couldn't have a look at its most interesting features. The windows, furnishings and sculptures were created by Martin Travers (1886-1948) and sculptor John E Crawford (1897-1982).
This shows part of the Te Deum great East window (photo from the
St George's church website) which was installed in 1937. Travers also has a large window installed in the Great Hall of the Arts Centre Christchurch, New Zealand.
St George and the Dragon by John Crawford.
Across from the church is St George's Hall. It was completed in 1929 by Cyril Farey (1888-1954). And that about completes my visit to West Harrow. I didn't waste time wandering about this residential area which meant I had enough time to move on and have a look at the next station on the line.
Was this a recent trip or completed in the fall? That's a long way to travel for your research.
ReplyDeleteIt looks rather rural and with life lived at a slower pace. It's a decent sized park and it's good that it is well used.
ReplyDeleteAnother great tour of an area with lots of research. This looks really more rural than some of the other places you have showed us.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely town. Harrow is an elegant place, and I'd love to visit there.
ReplyDeleteRather boring wander for you here. I understand what you mean about travel in London, Tube sounds fast, but distances are huge. I like some of the houses, I expect lots of Asians live that way now. The Redwood Tree is a nice touch. But a shame the cemetarygets vandalised by 'bored' youths. I look forward to the next stop.
ReplyDeleteI do applaud you (can you hear me clapping?) on these tours of the railway lines, I enjoy this series of posts.
ReplyDeleteBut goodness if it took you 'an hour and a half to get here from your local rail station' I'm thinking that is a three hour round trip!!!
There seems to be more vandalism around these days, such a shame to see ... respect for people and property does not seem to be taught these days!
I look forward to the nest stop on the line.
Al the best Jan
It makes me wonder about who lives there though that they don't have a cafe or coffee shop but they do have a high security storage facility . I mean, what strange priorities these wealthy people have ))
ReplyDelete