Harrow-on-the-Hill, Airbnb - quirky house, room with view of Harrow Spire

Harrow-on-the-Hill Church spire. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
It's always a pleasure to drive up to historic Harrow-on-the-Hill. But it has no hotels. Can you rely on airbnb? I've never stayed in one. I was visiting a friend's house for a club committee meeting, which happens regularly, every six weeks. The downstairs mezzanine toilet was occupied so I asked for another and was sent to the top of the house where I got to see the whole place for the first time.

What a delight. Different paintings and curios all over the place. A warren of rooms in a house built on the hillside.

I thought, what a shame that visitors to Harrow never get to see inside an old, quirkly place like this.

I said to my friend, Gill, "You ought to be on airbnb!"
She replied, "I am."

I looked. Sure enough, she is.

Harrow-On-the-Hill's modest house fronts hide a myriad of delights. So do the tiny shop fronts and restaurant windows. The buildings extend backwards, like Alice in Wonderland's rabbit hole, opening up an entire world of weird wonders.

The Castle pub, on the corner, Harrow-on-the-Hill.

Historic Harrow-on-the-Hill school buildings in red brick.

The school's arched doorways and windows are restful and inviting, even on a rainy day.

What is Gill like? A fun lady and a forthright lady who has knowledge and opinions on every subject.

The Church And Spire
From a tourist's point of view, the most amazing thing is the house. The room they rent out has a view of the famous Harrow-on-the Hill church spire.

If you don't get to Harrow-on-the-Hill and don't get to Gill's, you can also see the spire from the Metropolitan line trains. They run fast from Baker Street (of Sherlock Holmes and Madame Tussaud's fame), to Harrow on the Hill. You can see that spire for miles around.

A few yards along the road on the corner is the Castle pub. I have eaten there for lunch with a writing group.

You can walk uphill to historic Harrow-on-the-Hill with its statue of Elizabeth high up on the wall, boutique shops and restaurants, tours of the school in season, and streets where the boys wear boaters (straw hats) in the summer term.

Or walk downhill to bustling Harrow with its department store and two shopping malls.

You can walk up and down the leafy hill to enjoy the exercise and views, or take the H7 single-decker bus to Wembley Central.

Useful Websites
To book the room with the view of the spire:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/5902247?location=crown%20street%20Harrow%20on%20the%20Hill%2C%20United%20Kingdom&s=8e3ZEhj4

visitlondon.com
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com
tfl.gov.uk (Transport for London, government site)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have several more posts on Harrow,  Wembley, Sherlock Holmes, London and destinations worldwide. Please share links to your favourite posts.