HARROW MUSEUM & HERITAGE CENTRE

HISTORIC HARROW MUSEUM & HERITAGE CENTRE

My visit to the Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre took place on August 12, 2007.

The Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre is situated at Headstone Manor, in Middlesex.

The site is remarkable as it contains a medieval moated Manor House and two 16^th century barns together with an 18^th century Granary moved from a local farm about 10 minutes from Central London.

All the museum buildings are listed by English Heritage, and the site is included in the National Schedule of Ancient Monuments – Manor (Grade I) followed with Tithe Barn, Small Barn and Granary (Grade II).

HARROW MUSEUM & HERITAGE CENTRE

The house was built early in the 14^th century and in 1344 was acquired for the Archbishop of Canterbury and used as his main residence in Middlesex.

In fact, the buildings, gardens and moat at Harrow Museum are all that remains of the medieval estate Headstone Manor. Records of the estate dates back to 825AD, when the land was given to Wulfred, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The estate remained the property of the Archbishops until 1546, after which it was owned by various private landlords. The house was then extended and improved by subsequent owners – the ancient parts have been restored.

The estate was purchased by the local council in 1928.

The site became a museum in 1986.

Title Barn – the magnificent 150 feet long barn was built in 1506 – houses temporary and permanent exhibitions, plus a refreshment bar and the museum gift shop and bookstall. There is a live music every Sunday lunchtime. Grade II listed building.

TITLE BARN

Granary Barn is the second barn on the site – was originally built at the Pinner Park Farm in the early 1880s. In 1991, to save Granary from destruction, it was dismantled and rebuilt here as part of the Museum. The barn has exhibits relating to prominent local industries to the agricultural past of the area. Graded II listed building.

GRANARY BARN

Small Barn dates from 1550. Its construction is almost identical to that of the Tithe Barn, in smaller scale. The barn was vandalized and burnt down in the 1970s. The building was restored in 1995. Graded II listed building.

SMALL BARN

The Manor House – parts of the house date from the early 1300s. The surviving ancient parts consists of one bay of a great hall and two-floored cross wing. The ancient parts were restored in 2005-2005, and revealed to public for the fist time. Graded I listed building. Headstone Manor sits on an island surrounded by a moat (14^th century) – believe was built in the early 1300s. It was a status symbol, demonstrating the wealth of the Manor's owner. 

MANOR HOUSE