EPW018756 ENGLAND (1927). Harrow-on-the-Hill Railway Station and environs, Harrow, 1927

In the 1950's this house was Dr Bell's home and surgery.

For many years this building, with its distinctive Dutch gables, was a prominent landmark in this part of Harrow. It incorporated the offices of Clarke & Co, the pre-eminent estate agents and auctioneers in Harrow. Inevitably, in recent years the building has been replaced by something rather brutal and revolting.

Odeon Radio electronic component shop in the 1960s

Open top buses were still a common sight in 1927 - the design very much a legacy of the old horse-drawn omnibuses. This is probably a K or S-type of the London General Omnibus Co.

Short electrified siding, perhaps used for coal delivery to a coal merchants then sited on the station approach road on the Lowlands Road side. Possibly also once a 'down' direction locomotive changeover siding and coaling stage for steam locomotives, as there is also an adjacent water tower.

Harrow Library was built here, in about the late 60s. Prior to the new building there was a large old wooden hut which served the same purpose. It seems, then, that the villa in this photo had been gone some years by then. Even the '60s library building has now gone and the library relocated. Meanwhile, this site and an adjoining area (more recently used as a car park) have been redeveloped as a monstrously ugly high-rise development that imposes itself on the local skyline. Harrow town (Greenhill) is fast becoming an immensely unattractive place.

In 1924/5 this flyunder onto the Uxbridge Branch was constructed by the Metropolitan Railway. The junction had previously been a level connection. This caused certain running problems for the main line and GC/LNER services and the flyunder was completed to alleviate this. Curiously, there still remains a single level connection on the down side. The level connection continued in existence until the 1960s. It probably facilitated more flexible workings in the down direction only.

This looks like a London bound three car train of wooden bodied 1904/05 Saloon Stock built for the electrification of the Met Railway and on this part of the Met, employed primarily on the Uxbridge branch services. The third unit is of a different non-clerestory roofed stock. Probably 1913 or even 1921 stock.

The Royal Oak pub. Still in situ, albeit completely overshadowed by the St Anne's and St George's shopping malls. The pub itself is something of a miserable shadow of its former self. It is a shoppers' pub now, rather than a social meeting place.

Adam's Furnishers. Originally the Empire picture house.

Harrow Goods Yard. I believe that some kind of goods facility existed here up until the early 1960s. The goods shed remained in situ after closure of the yard and was utilised thereafter by a building supplies merchant who occupied part of the site. This building remained until recently when it was swept away during the development of the Morrison's supermarket and apartments on the site.

Ashburnham Avenue

Gayton Hall Hotel This is probably the last remaining example of the attractive Victorian/Edwardian villas that lined Gayton Road and Lyon Road. Most had been replaced with squalid office blocks by the 1960s.

Harrow South signal box.

Harrow North signal box.

I believe that this was a coaling stage where the Met's steam locos were replenished with coal between duties. This may have been redundant at the time the photograph was taken as the electric/steam loco changeover point was at Rickmansworth from 1925 when the Harrow/Rickmansworth section was electrified.

At this time the Met and GC lines comprised only four running tracks. The Met tracks were not quadrupled from Wembley to Harrow until 1932. Quadrupling beyond Harrow to Watford South Junction did not take place until about 1961.

Lyons Tea Rooms

Bowen Road

Vaughan Road

Council Depot

Bouverie Road under construction

Harrow Recreation Ground

Kenton Avenue

Kenton Road

Coliseum Cinema (Theatre)

Gayton Road

Clarendon Road

Greenhill School St Annes Road

Harrow on the Hill Stn.

Station Road

Lowlands Road

College Road

Roxborough Bridge