Coordinates: 51°37′01″N 0°19′30″W / 51.6170°N 0.3250°W / 51.6170; -0.3250

Stanmore
Stanmore  Stanmore shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ1691
London borough	Harrow
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STANMORE
Postcode district	HA7
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Harrow East
London Assembly	Brent and Harrow
List of places: UK • England • London

Stanmore is a suburban area of the London Borough of Harrow, in northwest London. It is situated 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Charing Cross. The area is home to Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, 152 metres (499 ft) high.

Toponymy[link]

The area was recorded in the Domesday Book as Stanmere, the name deriving from the Old English stan, 'stony' and mere, 'a pool'. There are outcrops of gravel on the clay soil here and the mere may have been one of the ponds which still exist. By 1574 the area had become known as Great Stanmore to distinguish it from Little Stanmore.

History[link]

Stanmore Village railway station was open for train services between 1890 and 1952. Stanmore tube station opened in 1932.

Stanmore had an outstation from the Bletchley Park codebreaking establishment, where some of the Bombes used to decode German Enigma messages in World War Two were housed.

Stanmore was also home to RAF Bentley Priory from where the Battle of Britain was controlled, also formerly to RAF Stanmore Park, HQ of Balloon Command. RAF Stanmore Park closed in 1997 and is now a housing estate and RAF Bentley Priory closed in 2009.

Parish Church[link]

The first Parish Church was the 14th century St Mary's, built on the site of a wooden Saxon church which was itself probably built on the site of a Roman compitum shrine.^[1][2]

This building was replaced by a new one built on the current site consecrated in 1632 and dedicated to St John the Evangelist.^[1][2] Its ruin still stands near the present church which was consecrated in 1850.

Modern Stanmore[link]

The suburb is characterised by numerous small restaurants and cafés, several public houses, many unique shops like a natural health store and boutique-style clothing stores. The centre of Stanmore is dominated by the presence of a large Sainsbury's supermarket and also a large Lidl supermarket. There are also popular eateries such as Prezzo and Caffè Nero situated in the centre of the town. Stanmore's extensive residential areas are leafy and predominantly affluent, with many residents commuting daily to jobs in central London and the City.

Stanmore Park is located at the foot of Stanmore Hill and right next to the local library. This is just one of the two outdoor leisure fields, the other being Whitchurch Playing Fields adjacent to Whitchurch First and Middle School and opposite to Stanburn First and Middle School. The playing field hosts many Sunday league football matches on the vast acres of turf which are marked into individual football pitches with respective goal frames.

Situated on the border of Stanmore and Bushey is Stanmore Cricket Club, one of the oldest in the Middlesex county championship league celebrating 150 years in 2003 and is still successful at the present. The club has nurtured two famous cricketers who have played Tests for England in the last two decades; Angus Fraser and Mark Ramprakash.

Stanmore is home to Stanmore College (a government further education establishment) and a local library run by the London Borough of Harrow. North London Collegiate, one of the top public schools is in Stanmore. The suburb also hosts the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital - known as RNOH - which is famed for its spinal unit.

Ethnic & Religion[link]

Stanmore has affluent, Christian, Shia Muslim, Hindu, Jain, Jewish and Catholic communities, including its local Synagogue, Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue on London Road (which has the largest membership of any single synagogue in Europe),^[3] an Islamic Centre, KSIMC Of London (Hujjat)^[4] and new Hindu Temple^[5] on Wood Lane.

Notable natives and residents[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)

• Performer and musician Beardyman (Darren Foreman) grew up in Stanmore
• Performer and comedian Matt Lucas was born in Stanmore on 5 March 1974. He attended Aylward First & Middle School, and the Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
• Queen Adelaide (1792–1849), queen consort of William IV, lived at Bentley Priory from 1848 until her death there.
• George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen — Peelite Prime Minister (in office December 1852 – February 1855); was raised and is buried in Stanmore.
• W.S. Gilbert — English dramatist, librettist and illustrator; buried in Stanmore.
• Robert and Ellen Hollond lived here from 1847. He was a balloonist and MP, she found London's first créche.^[6]
• Clement Attlee — Labour Prime Minister in the first post-war government; lived in a large villa "Heywood", which was later demolished and replaced by a small block of flats.
• Brit-rocker Billy Idol (William Michael Albert Broad), was born in Stanmore.
• Football coach Dave Bassett, was born in Stanmore.
• Actress Linda Hayden, was born in Stanmore.
• Author/screenwriter Anthony Horowitz, was born in Stanmore.
• Actor Cyril Shaps lived in Stanmore.
• Actress Patricia Medina, second wife of Joseph Cotten, lived in Stanmore.^[7]
• Actor Roger Moore, famous for his role as James Bond and in The Saint, lived in Stanmore.
• Footballer Theo Walcott, current Arsenal and England player, was born in Stanmore in 1989.^[8] His family still live there.^[9]
• Labour MP Keith Vaz currently lives in Stanmore.
• Olly Mann, co-host of cult podcast, Answer Me This!.^[10]
• Nigel Rothband, Chief Executive of Retail Trust and former manager of the Great Britain Maccabiah cricket team currently lives in Stanmore.
• James Bord, professional poker player

Cliff Richard lived in Stanmore and use to own the house with the green roof

Transport[link]

Nearby places[link]

• Belmont
• Wealdstone
• Edgware
• Bushey

Nearest tube station[link]

• Stanmore tube station

Main bus routes[link]

The following London bus routes serve Stanmore:

• H12 Stanmore to South Harrow (via Hatch End and Pinner)
• 142 Brent Cross to Watford Junction (via Edgware)
• 324 Stanmore Station to Brent Cross (via Hendon Central)
• 340 Edgware to Harrow Bus Station
• Night Bus N98 Stanmore to Holborn (via Willesden and Marble Arch)
• Uno bus route 615 to Hatfield (not a London bus route)

External links[link]

• Stanmore College web site
• Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital web site

References[link]

v t e London Borough of Harrow Districts Belmont Canons Park Greenhill Harrow Harrow on the Hill Harrow Weald Hatch End Headstone Kenton Little Stanmore North Harrow Pinner Pinner Green Queensbury Rayners Lane Roxeth South Harrow Stanmore Sudbury Wealdstone West Harrow Attractions Harrow Museum Headstone Manor Harrow School Parks and open spaces Chandos Recreation Ground Kenton Recreation Ground Pinner Park West Harrow Recreation Ground Constituencies Harrow West Harrow East Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner Tube and rail stations Canons Park Harrow & Wealdstone station Harrow-on-the-Hill station Hatch End railway station Headstone Lane railway station North Harrow Northolt Park railway station Pinner Rayners Lane South Harrow Stanmore Sudbury Hill Sudbury Hill Harrow railway station West Harrow Other topics People Public art Schools Parks and open spaces in Harrow