Things to see in Harrow on the Hill - Harrow on the Hill walking tour with a map and photo gallery
Today, I invite you for a very short walking tour around Harrow on the Hill.
Distance to cover: 1.3 miles/2 km/2600 steps
If you want to experience the historic English village vibe not too far from central London, Harrow on the Hill might be a perfect choice.
During this walking tour you will see:
charming houses…
a beautiful church
a pub
and a panoramic views of London.
On top of that, you will have a chance to see the prestigious boarding school for boys that educated several Nobel Prize winners and seven former British Prime Ministers (including Winston Churchill!).
Without further ado, let’s see what is there to see in Harrow on the Hill!
HARROW ON THE HILL WALKING TOUR MAP
If you click on the map, a new window will open for live navigation in the field.
The hill to climb to see the view isn't too challenging. However, this walk includes some slopes. Make sure that you have suitable shoes on for this walking tour.
THINGS TO SEE IN HARROW ON THE HILL
To get to the historical village of Harrow on the Hill, I recommend to use Harrow on the Hill tube station, served by Metropolitan (purple) line.
It takes around one hour to get to Harrow on the Hill from central London.
After leaving the station, head towards Lowlands Road.
When you reach Lowlands Road, turn left and go up the hill towards Grove Hill.
On the junction of Lowland Road and Grove Hill, you will see a small war memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the First World War.
Now turn into Grove Hill and follow this road until you see the embranchment.
The way to the right will take you to Church Hill via public footpath.
Follow this footpath.
Going up, you will have a nice view of the beautiful buildings you have left behind you on Grove Hill.
You will be passing a gated grand building called The Grove.
At the top of the hill, you will see a beautiful Grade I-listed church with a spire called St Mary’s Church.
The oldest parts of this church were built in the 11th century.
And the hill on which the church stands, called Harrow Hill, gave the name to the area.
St Mary’s Church is the highest building in Middlesex and is used as a navigational reference for the planes approaching RAF Northolt.
Visit the inside and have a walk around the church as there is plenty to see there.
Small graveyard…
… with some unique graves located on the hill.
This churchyard was a favorite spot for the romantic poet Lord Byron.
Between 1801 and 1805, Byron was a student at nearby Harrow School (you will see this school further on this walking tour).
He often sat here by his favorite tombstone in St Mary's Church (The Peachey Tomb).
He apparently wished for his ashes to be scattered here as well, but that did not happen.
His daughter was buried in this location, in an unmarked grave.
Today you can see information boards commemorating Byron’s history with this place.
If you go down the hill, you will see a beautiful panorama facing Oxford.
There are some benches there as well. This is a great spot for a break.
On this hill, Charles I (the King executed by beheading at the Whitehall) stopped when fleeing Oxford to take a final look at London.
Now is time to go to see the Harrow on the Hill historic village.
You have two options: one is to go down the hill.
The second is to use Church Hill Road. I recommend you to go via Churchill Hill Road.
When approaching the Grove Hill again (via Church Hill Road) you will be welcomed by this great view of the main street of the Harrow on the Hill village.
You will be passing many beautiful old buildings.
And some of the Harrow School Buildings.
Harrow School is a prestigious boarding school for boys aged 13-18, founded in 1572, that educated a few Nobel Prize winners and seven British Prime Ministers. One of them was Winston Churchill, a famous British Prime Minister during WW2.
From the street, you can see only a small part of the whole campus of Harrow School.
You can have a better view of this institution using this link.
Follow the High Street, and you will be exposed to more beautiful architecture and few panoramic views.
You will see on a way many pretty little shops.
And more grand buildings.
If you follow the High Street for long enough, you will reach the junction, where you will see a Harrow on the Hill Gantry.
This is a wooden structure with the portrait of King Henry VIII.
The gantry commemorates the existence of the Kings Head Hotel, which used to operate from the white building visible in the background.
The hotel seized to exist in 1980 (was turned into private apartments).
However, its history is very long and goes back to 1535!
The first inn in this spot was created on the site of Henry VIII's hunting lodge. Hence the hotel's name and the King's portrait on the gantry.
And since King Richard I decreed in 1393 that all the inns must have a sign, from the 16th century, the gantry always occupied this prominent location in Harrow on the Hill village.
The gantry you can see today is a way of keeping alive the memory of this place.
The current structure was restored in 2013 by Harrow on the Hill Trust.
In May 2013, the volunteers working on the restoration buried in the foundations a time capsule containing descriptions and pictures of themself.
After seeing the Harrow on the Hill Gantry, it's time to see the pub.
For that, you will need to go back a little to the street called Waldron Road.
Follow this street until you reach Crown Street, then turn right.
You will see on the way some charming little buildings.
At the end of Crown Street, when Crown Street meets West Street, you will see a pub called The Castle (or Castle In).
Apart from the pub, on West Street, you can see more cute cottages.
The last stop on this walking tour is the church, called Our Lady & St Thomas of Canterbury Church.
You will find it on Roxborough Park Street.
To see it, you will need to cross the green Churchfields and follow the narrow walkway leading to this street.
Seeing this lovely church is the last point on this Harrow on the Hill walking tour.
The public walkway at the corner of this church will lead you back to Harrow on the Hill tube station.
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