Picture a sarsen stone. This stone marks the boundary between Harrow and Harrow Weald. We are standing in Wealdstone.
Wealdstone is a district in the London Borough of Harrow. It sits north of Harrow town centre. It is south of Harrow Weald. Belmont and Kenton are to the east. Headstone lies to the west. Wealdstone centres on the High Street.
Let’s dive into Wealdstone’s story.
The Weald Stone marks the boundary. It sits outside Bombay Central restaurant. This building was once the Weald Stone Inn and before that, the Red Lion. The Weald Stone is eponymous.
Wealdstone Urban District formed in 1894. It was absorbed by Harrow Urban District in 1934.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces line central Wealdstone. New flats dot High Street and George Gange Way. The Kodak Harrow factory once stood here. It closed in 2016. Winsor & Newton, Whitefriars Glass, and Hamilton Brush Works were also here. They made Wealdstone Harrow’s industrial hub.
The George Gange Way flyover was built in 1996. It bypasses much of the High Street traffic. Harrow View forms the western boundary. Headstone Manor lies across it. Byron Park and the Belmont Trail are to the east.
A Her Majesty’s Stationery Office factory once stood here. It was demolished in 1996. Harrow Crown Court replaced it.
The Herga Cinema was at Graham Road and High Street. It opened in 1939 but closed in 1951. A fire gutted it in the early 1960s. The building was later used for commercial premises. In 2018, Harrow Council approved its demolition. Flats now stand in its place.
The Wealdstone High Street bypass opened in 1996. In 1997, Asda planned a superstore. It involved demolishing 60 small businesses. The project was controversial and scrapped. A smaller scheme was revived later. Asda blamed Harrow Council and dropped the plan in 1999.
Local traders struggled after the bypass opened. Sainsbury’s abandoned a new supermarket project in 2001. Traders hoped it would revitalize Wealdstone. Harrow Council secured funding for a community centre in 2001. It included a library on the site of a former Safeway. It opened in 2004 as the Wealdstone Centre. Asda eventually opened a smaller supermarket in 2015.
Local children painted a mural of Queen Victoria on the railway bridge in 2004.
The former police station on High Street is prominent. Built in 1909, it is Grade II listed since 1998. It is known for its distinctive style.
In 2003, plans to close the Wealdstone police station sparked protests. A petition got 200 signatures. The station remained open but faced closure threats in 2008 and 2011. The Anti-Social Behaviour Partnership team was housed there. The station eventually closed.
Wealdstone formerly had the highest crime rate in Harrow. The Wealdstone Antisocial Behaviour Partnership tackled crime. By 2016, crime figures fell below the borough average.
The Harrow Leisure Centre is in Wealdstone. It has swimming, badminton, snooker, martial arts, and a gym. Harrow Skate Park is next to the leisure centre. It is a major skateboarding centre.
Wealdstone FC played at College Farm in 1903. They later played in Belmont Road. In 1922, they moved to Lower Mead. This was behind the Dominion/ABC cinema. Tesco bought the site in 1991. Wealdstone FC is now based in Ruislip. Former players include Stuart Pearce, Vinnie Jones, and Jermaine Beckford.
Wealdstone is the youngest and most deprived ward in Harrow. According to the 2011 census, the largest ethnic group is White British at 25%.
The Holy Trinity Church of England was built in Gothic style in 1882.
Notable people from Wealdstone include Gordon Hill, also known as The Wealdstone Raider. Joseph McCann also lived here for a time.
As you leave Wealdstone, remember its industrial past, community spirit, and sporting connections. The Weald Stone stands as a silent witness to the area’s ever-changing story.