Harefield

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type = Greater London
region= London
population=
official_name= Harefield
constituency_westminster=
post_town= UXBRIDGE
postcode_area= UB
postcode_district= UB9
london_borough= Hillingdon
dial_code= 01895
os_grid_reference= TQ055905
latitude= 51.6034
longitude= -0.4780
static_

static_image_caption= St Mary the Virgin Church, Harefield

Harefield is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon in Greater London. It is located 17 miles (27 km) north west of Charing Cross. It is situated on top of a hill and just inside the north-west boundary of Greater London and the M25 motorway.

Harefield is famous for its hospital, where pioneering heart surgery techniques were developed. Nearby is Mount Vernon Hospital, known for its plastic surgery and oncology departments amongst others.Harefield is also home to an Elite Gymnastics Academy. The Harefield Academy, Northwood Way, Harefield opened in September 2005 on the John Penrose School site. [ [http://www.theharefieldacademy.org The Harefield Academy website] ]

History

Notable buildings

t Mary the Virgin Church

The church cemetery at St. Mary the Virgin, on Church Hill, houses the graves of over 100 soldiers of the First Australian Imperial Force who died at No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital (Harefield Park Hospital) after being wounded in World War I. The hospital became Harefield prior to WWII. Each year on Anzac Day a commemoration service is attended by local dignitaries, representatives from the Australian and New Zealand governments, local school children and many retired servicemen. Following the church service the congregation move to the cemetery and form around the Anzac memorial. The last post and reveille are played, followed by a wreath laying ceremony. Local school children also place flowers on the well kept grave sites.

Manor of Harefield

The ancient Manor of Harefield was held by the Newdigate family from about 1440. The old Manor house, Harefield Place, adjacent to St Mary the Virgin church, was replaced in 1786 when a new mansion house was built at Harefield Lodge. The old 'Harefield Place' fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1813, whereupon the new Manor house became known as Harefield Place. It was sold by Charles Newdigate Newdegate in 1877. In 1938 it was acquired by the local authority to serve as a hospital. In 1959 the land was redeveloped and is now the Harefield Place Golf Club.

Harefield House, a Grade 2 listed building, High Street, Harefield, was built by Sir Roger Newdigate in about 1750. From about 1765 to 1809 it was occupied by J M Bruhl. During World War I it served as No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital. In 1937 it was acquired by the Ministry of Defence and was occupied by the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate. After 1982 the building was restored and converted to office use.

port

Harefield is home to Harefield Cricket Club, whose First and Second teams play their matches at the Woods Cricket Ground on Breakspear Road North, and whose Third XI play home games at Hervines Park, in the nearby town of Amersham. However, in 2008, a new ground has been prepared behind the current First Team pitch to accomodate the Third XI and a newly formed Fourth XI. This was done in conjunction with the Harefield Parochial Charity.

Famous residents

*Brian Connolly, lead singer with the highly popular 1970s glam rock band The Sweet, lived at 126 Ash Grove, Harefield. Mike Jerome, later to find fame as a comedian, lived across the road and was a childhood friend. Arriving as a 12 year old from Glasgow, Connolly lived and was schooled in Harefield from 1957. As an adolescent, Connolly played in a country and western band with Jerome until he found musical fame with The Sweet in the early 1970s. Connolly used the name of his adoptive family McManus during his Harefield days. Achieving great fame and wealth he loved the area, residing in Hayes in his early pop-star days and was living in nearby Denham when he died in 1997.

Transport

Trains

Although there is no tube or railway station in Harefield, three buses serve different locations which have tube stations on the Metropolitan line, or Metropolitan Line and Piccadilly line. These are: Uxbridge, Ruislip, Northwood and Rickmansworth. Rickmansworth is also on the Chiltern Railway.

Buses

*Bus from Uxbridge: U9
*Bus from Ruislip/Northwood: 331
*Bus from Rickmansworth: R21

Nearest railway stations

* Denham railway station
* Rickmansworth station
* Gerrards Cross railway station

Nearest places

* Ickenham
* Ruislip
* Northwood
* Maple Cross
* Rickmansworth

References

External links

* [http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/harefield/doc.htm Harefield Park Hospital] , Australian War Memorial, 11 June 1974