In the first week of March, just before the end of the national lockdown and the return of school children across England to the classroom, Mr Clark set his classes the challenge of finding some interesting History in their local area. Below are some of the examples of place of interest the boys found while undertaking their regular daily exercise in North London and South-West Hertfordshire.

A Year 10 student from Pinner:

St John the Baptist Church is an Anglican church in Pinner, made in 1320. It was initially meant to be a chapel for St Mary’s Church in Harrow on the Hill but by 1776, it became an independent Parish. It was under the immediate jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury who was also the Lord of the Manor of Harrow. There is a memorial for a previous mayor of London, Sir Christopher Clitherow and graves for people like William Skenelsby, a man who lived to 118 and Henry James Pye, an official poet to King George III.

A Year 7 Student from St Albans

Edmund Beaufort was the second Duke of Somerset and a Lancastrian. He died in the first battle of St Albans, which the Yorkists won, and where they captured the Lancastrian king, Henry VI. There are roads in St Albans named to commemorate them.

A Year 7 student from Harrow-on-the-Hill

This 1898 Cattle Trough was built by the Metropolitan Cattle Trough and Drinking Fountain Association in memory of Miss J E Gordan. It is a rectangular trough made of grey granite with squat plinths at either end. It was a drinking trough for cattle and horses in the Victorian era. There was also a drinking basin for human use on the outside. The MCTDFA (Metropolitan Cattle Trough and Drinking Fountain Association) was made in 1859 by Samuel Gurney MP and was responsible for many troughs across the capital. However, later on, the Cattle Trough was then made into a flowerbed for public sightseeing. Take a quick walk around Harrow and you will find lots of reminders of the history of our borough.

A Year 9 student from Mill Hill:

The student’s image is of a sign saying you must wear a mask inside. It is interesting because it is very representative of the time we are in. Our free action is limited in the aim to protect the safety and well-being on the world. I believe this will become a very interesting part of history due to its rare, but necessary, circumstances.

A Year 10 Student from Stanmore

This is a picture of what used to be Stanmore Village Station. It was a station built in 1890 by Frederick Gordon in order to attract people to come to Stanmore. However, in 1932, the current Stanmore Station was built which is now at the end of the Jubilee Line, leading to the closure of the village station in 1952. It has now become the house in the picture above.

Lower Sixth Student from Hampstead

The student took this picture of Pitt the Elder’s garden entrance in Hampstead Heath. William Pitt the Elder (The Earl of Chatham) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1766 to 1768. The plaque says that it was designed by James Paine who was a early 18th century architect and it was built by Charles Dingley, who helped build one of the first toll roads in London in 1756.

Year 7 Student from Edgware

Alms houses are a charitable form of self-sufficient, low-cost community housing that is held in trust for local people in housing need. The above Alms houses were built in 1828, in Edgware. They were paid for by Charles Day. There were eight on a one-acre plot, fronting onto Watling Street at Stone Grove. Day himself selected the Alms people and in his will he left the Alms houses and land to trusties and provided £100 a year for the welfare of the property and Alms people. The buildings were restored in 1959.

Year 9 student from Maida Vale

Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio established in 1931 by the Gramophone company. The Gramophone company a predecessor of British music company EMI owned the studio until 2009.The studio gained English Heritage status shortly after in 2010 due to the musical history embedded within its walls. The studios held many notable clients throughout its years recently holding Kanye West and Kylie Minogue. Although the studio held recent stars, The Beatles truly made it and it’s crossing famous. The crossing which also appears in the photo was used as The Beatles 1969 iconic album cover ‘Abbey Road’ and has later become a symbol of pop culture. It attracts tourists all year round!

Year 7 Student from Northwood

Pinner Cottage Hospital was a purpose-built facility. This was built as a memorial to all those who died in the World War I. This is a small building which was opened 1920 but sadly closed in 2008. To this current day many ambulances and emergency vehicles are parked here. The hospital closed after the lack of funding and too high prices to keep the operation going. This has high interest to the student and reminds them of the soldiers who lost their lives to protect the country.