The Great Barn and The Small Barn at Headstone Manor

Image: © Marathon Taken: 25 May 2016

The land on which Headstone Manor stands was part of the complete manor of Harrow, owned by Wulfred, Archbishop of Canterbury in 825 AD. The house was originally completed in about 1345 and used as the Archbishops' main residence in Middlesex. Headstone Manor and its farm remained in the ownership of the church until the Reformation. It was sold by Henry VIII in 1547 to Lord Edward North and remained in private hands for four centuries. Over time, Headstone Manor fell into a state of disrepair, and much of its surrounding land was sold off. In 1925 Hendon Rural District Council bought the site. It then passed into the control of the London Borough of Harrow after local government reorganisation. Headstone Manor is the earliest surviving timber-framed building in Middlesex. The moat is contemporary in date to the earliest part of the building (about 1310) and is the only complete water-filled Medieval moat in Greater London. The brick facade was added in the 1770s, giving Headstone Manor the appearance it has today. With Heritage Lottery Funding, plans are in hand to restore the house and open it as a permanent museum in March 2017, telling the story of Harrow and of Headstone Manor. The Great Barn (on the right here) was constructed in 1506. Formerly known as the Tithe Barn, it would have mainly been used by the tenant farmer to store grains and to stable horses. The cathedral like structure is 149 feet long, 50 feet wide and over 30 feet high. The framework is made entirely of English oak. The Great Barn is Grade II* Listed. The Small Barn (to the left) was originally two buildings standing end to end. It is likely to have housed livestock. The main structure of the Small Barn dates from 1550. Excavation has shown that the foundations of the Small Barn date back to the 14th century, making it contemporary with the first phases of the building of the house and the moat. In the mid 1970s the Small Barn was almost destroyed by fire. The building was restored and reopened in 1996 housing an exhibition about the site. It is being brought back into use as a visitor centre and as a cafe.

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