About
Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre is set in and around one of the most historically significant buildings in Greater London — Headstone Manor, a moated manor house dating from the 14th century that stands as one of the oldest and most complete surviving examples of this building type in the capital. Located in the London Borough of Harrow, the museum interprets the history of the borough and its communities from prehistoric times to the present, with Headstone Manor's exceptional historic buildings and water-filled moat providing an extraordinary setting quite unlike any other London museum.
Headstone Manor was built in the early 14th century as a country residence for the Archbishops of Canterbury, who maintained estates throughout the Diocese of Canterbury including this manor in the parish of Harrow on the Hill. The moat — original and intact — surrounds the principal buildings and creates a picturesque island setting that has survived the extensive suburban development that transformed Harrow from a rural area into a London suburb during the late 19th and 20th centuries. The manor house, tithe barn, granary, and small barn together constitute an exceptional ensemble of medieval and post-medieval agricultural buildings.
The tithe barn at Headstone, dating from the 14th century, is one of the oldest and largest surviving aisled timber barns in Middlesex, and its great interior is used as an exhibition and events space while retaining its extraordinary medieval character. The granary and small barn provide additional display and storage space within the heritage compound. The manor house itself has been restored and houses period displays relating to the history of the buildings and the ecclesiastical estate.
The museum's collections cover the full history of the London Borough of Harrow — from flint tools and Bronze Age finds through Roman-period material, medieval records, and the social history of the 19th and 20th centuries. The transformation of Harrow from a rural Middlesex parish into one of London's most extensive outer suburbs is traced through photographs, maps, personal documents, and objects donated by local families. The museum is managed by the London Borough of Harrow and is free to enter.
Categories:
Highlights
Headstone Manor — Medieval Moated House
Headstone Manor is one of the oldest surviving moated manor houses in Greater London, with origins in the early 14th century when it served as a residence for the Archbishops of Canterbury. The water-filled moat that encircles the principal buildings is original and intact, making this one of the most complete surviving examples of a medieval moated manor in the London area.
The combination of ancient buildings and their moat, set in the midst of suburban Harrow, creates one of the most unlikely and rewarding heritage experiences in Greater London.
The 14th-Century Tithe Barn
The great tithe barn at Headstone is one of the oldest and most important medieval agricultural buildings in the Greater London area — a vast aisled structure whose massive oak timber frame has survived largely intact for seven centuries. Originally used to store the tithe produce collected from the Archbishop's Harrow estate, the barn is now used as an exhibition and events space while retaining its extraordinary medieval character.
The sheer scale of the interior, with its high king-post roof and aisled nave, is genuinely awe-inspiring for visitors expecting a suburban museum.
Harrow Borough History Collections
The museum's history collections document the full story of the London Borough of Harrow from prehistoric times to the present.
Flint tools from Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites in the area, Bronze Age and Iron Age finds, Roman-period material, and medieval records chart the long human occupation of this corner of Middlesex. The social history of Victorian and Edwardian Harrow — still primarily a rural area of market gardens, farms, and the famous school on the hill — gives way to the story of rapid suburbanisation in the interwar period as the Metropolitan Railway's expansion made the area accessible to London commuters.
Suburban Development and Community History
Harrow's transformation from a Middlesex village to a London suburb is one of the defining stories of 20th-century London's growth, and the museum traces this transformation through photographs, maps, planning documents, and personal records. The 1930s semi-detached housing that defines much of the borough's character was built at extraordinary speed, transforming agricultural land into residential streets within a single decade.
The communities that formed in this new suburb — including significant South Asian communities from the 1960s onwards — are documented through oral history and community-donated collections.
Collections
The History of Harrow Borough
Archaeology and social history of the London Borough of Harrow from prehistoric times to the present
Headstone Manor — The Buildings
Interpretation of the medieval manor house, tithe barn, granary, and moat
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.