Didn’t Londoners know Harefield Park House existed until it became an Australian hospital? The Yorkshire Post reported this in 1918. It said the location was so remote that it was unknown. But this changed when the mansion became famous.
Let’s explore the history of Harefield Park House. It is now in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Records show it was once called Bellhammonds dating back to 1306. A deed mentions Prior Alexander granting the Manor to Richard Weltekart.
George Cooke created Harefield Place after his marriage in 1700. He bought an ancient house called Ryes. He also acquired 700 acres of land in 1704. Cooke built the present house. He planted timber and made the garden. He bought Bellhammonds in 1713. He then renamed his own house.
His son George Cooke M.P. added farms and mills. This happened around 1750. In 1824, General Sir George Cooke purchased Weybeards Farm. It was about this time that the estate became Harefield Park.
The park had many trees. It offered views of the Colne Valley. A statue of George Cooke stood south of the terrace. It was thought to be made by Rysbrack. Later, it was attributed to Cheere. A painting of George Cooke hung in the billiard room. The Cooke family left behind many valuable pictures.
Charles Billyard Leake owned Harefield Park in the early 20th century. He offered it to the Australian Government during World War I. It became the No.1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital in 1915. Huts were built to accommodate two thousand men. King George V and Queen Mary visited. So did the Duke of Connaught and Prime Minister Billy Hughes.
In 1919, Middlesex County Council bought Harefield Park. It became a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. The government contributed to the cost. What a difference one hundred years makes.
Harefield became part of the NHS in 1948. It was first a general hospital. Then, it became a specialist heart and lung center. Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub led groundbreaking work. This included the first successful heart transplant in 1980. Also, the world’s first combined heart and lung transplant in 1983. Harefield Hospital then had the largest transplant program in the world.
In 1998, Harefield Hospital merged with Royal Brompton Hospital. It became Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust. It achieved Foundation Trust status in 2009.
Grade II* listed Harefield Park mansion served for many years. But it became lost on a growing site. It was last used for medical staff accommodation. It is still standing. However, it is on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk register. The house is vacant. It is in very poor condition. The building is propped up with a temporary roof. Harefield Park House stands as a reminder of its varied past.