This neighbourhood is mostly comprised of the leafy, village-esque Harrow Hill, with the southern part of the area overlapping with Sudbury, and the north with the Harrow on the Hill station and Greenhill. Most of the Harrow Hill area is a conservation area, and its historic mews and Edwardian family homes are seen as very desirable, often selling for around the £1 million mark. The nearest access to the tube can be found at Harrow-on-the-Hill and Northwick Park stations on th Metropolitan line, and the Piccadilly line to the south at Sudbury Hill station, and the main commercial and shopping hub is to the north of the area at the bottom of the hill, clustered around Harrow on the Hill station, which is served by National Rail services. The area is perhaps most famous for its village charm and Harrow Boy’s School, one of the oldest and most prestigious public schools in the UK, as well as Northwick Park Hospital which occupies the eastern side of the area. The neighbourhood, as is the case with much of northwest London, is very diverse, with just over one third of residents of white British origin, and the next largest ethnic sub-group at 19% of Indian descent.

The neighbourhood itself has a very rich and interesting history. Harrow Town, as its has otherwise been known, has its origins as a 7th century Hamlet. The medieval Church of St Mary’s which sits upon the hill is Harrow’s most famous landmark. Not only is it over 900 years old, but it is one of the oldest medieval structures in London which is still intact. It’s said that during the English Civil War on the 27th April 1646, Charles I whilst fleeing the siege of Oxford, stopped at St Mary’s to water his horses and to take what he knew would be his final look over his capital city of London.

Harrow Boy’s School, as previously mentioned, was established in 1572, and gradually over time built up a reputation: in the 19th century, lots of the working population in the village were associated with the school in some way. A number of famous alumni lend Harrow a slight celebrity status; for example, did you know that seven Prime Ministers went to the school.

Another famous ‘Harrovian’ to emerge from Harrow Boy’s School was India’s first post-independence Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Following his studies at Harrow, he went on to study at Cambridge University, then to study law in London, after which he returned to India and practiced as a lawyer. His political career began in 1919 when he joined the Indian National Congress, and was a close colleague of Gandhi. His persistent efforts fighting for independence from the British was ultimately rewarded after the Second World War, when he was recognised as Gandhi’s successor and played a key role in negotiating India’s independence, eventually becoming Prime Minister of India in 1947.

One fifth of the whole area of Harrow is made up of lush green space, which is equivalent to eight Hyde Parks!

Harrow on the Hill, whilst a very desirable place to live, is not the most accessible area. Lots of steep inclines and unwalkable streets may be quite challenging for residents who are slightly less mobile. This may make it difficult for those who need to access the rail or tube station, which requires walking out of the village and down the hill. Additionally, its very limited housing market, which is due to strict planning regulations protecting the conservation area, have made prices very high. Nonetheless, if lucky enough to live in this picturesque location, residents will be welcomed into what the Harrow Hill Trust has called the ‘special community spirit’ which encapsulates the area.

The Harrow Hill area is in a protected conservation zone. Therefore, most new development occurs at the bottom of the hill or in the surrounding neighbourhoods, such as South Harrow, Sudbury and Roxeth. There is however a very strong, proactive community presence on the hill, as residents, local businesses and institutions all work together to maintain the areas charm. In fact, in September 2017 a Harrow Hill community Group applied to Harrow Council to set the boundary of a neighbourhood area, which the community group hopes will be designated as a neighbourhood forum. That said, the borough on the whole is set for a total rejeuvenation, with the £690m ‘Building a Better Harrow’ scheme in conjunction with Wates Residential, set to bring 1,500 new affordable homes, a civic centre, numerous new commercial spaces, as well as plenty of new and improved green space over the coming ten years. This will mean plenty of improved amenities will be coming to neaby areas around Harrow on the Hill, even if they’re not directly within the conservation zone.