Best known for the quaint village atop the hill and one of the country’s finest boarding schools, it’s fair to say Harrow is a unique part of London.
With
no fewer than four Prime Ministers educated at prestigious Harrow
School, Harrow-on-the-Hill has played a key part in British history –
not least because Winston Churchill was one of those aforementioned
alumni.
Harrow is one of north London’s most vibrant communities,
with single professionals taking advantage of great flats and modern
developments, as well as transport links into central London, and
families flocking to the area for its large detached homes and great
schools.
Living in Harrow
Thirteen miles north west of
central London, Harrow is flanked by Stanmore to the north, Hendon to
the east, Wembley to the south and Ruislip to the west.
is a place where roots are firmly put down by families or couples
looking to grow in an area where house prices are on a par with Harrow’s
zone 4-5 location, but transport links are good back into town.
Houses for sale in Harrow
Three
new developments in recent years have added a regenerated feel to
Harrow town centre, as well as providing new homes for eager
professional buyers.
Lexicon, Lyon Square and Harrow Square properties range from studio flats to larger one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
Away
from the new, Harrow’s traditional streets of 1930s semi and detached
family homes offer space and tradition, as do the Victorian and
Edwardian terraces that fill areas of the town.
range in value from large family detached homes, mainly 1930s style, at
£769,741 and semi-detached houses at £529,248 to those Victorian and
Edwardian terraces at £465,626 and flats around £300,000.
Those
prices place Harrow well below the Greater London averages, although
considerably higher than the UK averages as you would expect from a
sought-after London Town.
Average property price: £412,150*
Flats for rent in Harrow
Property
investors pick up many of Harrow’s newer and period conversion flats,
with 71% of properties let in the area over the past 12 months to May
2019 being apartments and flats.
And with 39% of tenants sitting
in the 18-29 age bracket, it’s proof if proof were needed that Harrow
has much to appeal to the young professional as well as growing
families.
Harrow flats command a monthly rent of £1,160 on average, considerably lower than the £1,468 Greater London average.
Those
renting larger family homes can expect to pay £1,485 for a terraced
home, £1,480 for a semi and £1,511 for a detached house – well below the
Greater London averages.
Harrow transport links
One of Harrow’s best selling points is its transport links.
Thanks to the Metropolitan Line, Underground trains fro Harrow-on-the-Hill go direct to Baker Street and the City in 30 minutes.
North Harrow, West Harrow and Rayners Lane are also on the Met Line and all stations are in zone five.
Keton
and South Kenton are on the Bakerloo Line in zone four with trains into
the West End, while South Harrow and Sudbury Hill are on the Piccadilly
Line.
Schools in Harrow
Away from the grandeur of Harrow School, the town’s state primaries and secondaries fare well in the Ofsted stakes.
Outstanding
primary schools include St Anselm’s RC, Marlborough, Belmont, Byron
Court, St Joseph’s RC, Mount Stewart Junior, Alexandra, Newton Farm,
Heathland, Glebe and St Bernadette’s RC.
Most other primaries are rated ‘Good’.
Among
the ‘Outstanding’ secondary comprehensives are Whitmore High, Sacred
Heart Language College, Nower Hill High, Claremont High and Bentley Wood
High.
Shopping in Harrow
While temptation to
take advantage of Harrow’s great train links into central London is
high, the town itself boasts two undercover shopping centres of its own.
St Anns and St Georges together have branches of H&M, Boots, M&S, Clarks and Monsoon, as well as a host of eateries.
Eating out in Harrow
We’ll start with breakfast and for a real taste of Hill life, head to the Doll’s House for a something to eat and a cup of tea.
For
lunch or dinner, you’re probably expecting a taste explosion thanks to
Harrow’s genuinely multi-cultural locals – and you’d be right.
Try
Shobha’s Rasoi on the High Street at Wealdstone for a traditional
Indian dish with an East African twist, or if you prefer your food from
the sea, The Fat Crab on Alexandra Avenue, close to Rayners Lane, offers
everything from prawns, calamari, oysters and, predictably, crab.
Things to do in Harrow
If
you’re going to be living in Harrow then you’ll need to know a bit
about its prestigious history – and that means a visit to Harrow School.
Take a tour around and see where the likes of Churchill and, more recently, Benedict Cumberbatch, toiled over school work.
If
you love your sport but can’t get tickets for the likes of North London
giants Tottenham and Arsenal, take in a Barnet FC game at the Hive
Stadium, home of National League side Barnet FC and located between
Harrow and Edgware.
Things to do with the kids
If
the kids need to let off some steam but the weather is not playing
ball, try Picazzo Arts in Wealdstone where they can let their creative
juices flow while you enjoy a well-earned coffee.
From pottery painting to canvases, it’s a great place for the little ones to get messy and have fun.
* Statistics from DataLoft Inform
