Pinner is a suburb in the
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow () is a London boroughs, London borough in northwest London, England; it forms part of Outer London. It borders four other London boroughs London Borough of Barnet, Barnet to the east of ancient Watling Street, Watl ...
, northwest London, England, northwest of
Charing Cross
Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...
, close to the border with
Hillingdon
Hillingdon is an area of Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon, centred 14.2 miles (22.8 km) west of Charing Cross. It was an ancient parish in Middlesex that included the market town of Uxbridge. During the 1920s the civil pari ...
, historically in the county of
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
. The population was 38,698 in 2021.
Originally a mediaeval
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
, the
St John Baptist church dates from the 14th century and other parts of the historic village include
Tudor buildings. The newer High Street is mainly 18th-century buildings, while Bridge Street has a more urban character and many
chain store
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate many retail markets, dining markets, and service categories in many p ...
s.
History
Pinner was originally a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
, first recorded in 1231 as ''Pinnora'',
although the already archaic ''-ora'' (meaning 'hill') suggests its origins lie no later than circa 900.
The name ''Pinn'' is shared with the
River Pinn
The Pinn is a suburban, outer west London river. It has dendritic headwaters, the furthest is considered its sourcein Harrow Weald. Its confluence with Frays River makes it a tributary of the Colne. It is one of three principal rivers wholly in ...
, which runs through the middle of Pinner. Another suggestion of the name is that it means 'hill-slope shaped like a pin'.
The oldest part of the town lies around the fourteenth-century parish church of St. John the Baptist, at the junction of the present day Grange Gardens, High Street and Church Lane. The church was originally a
chapel of ease
A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently, generally due to trav ...
to
St Mary's Church, Harrow on the Hill, and was first mentioned in 1234. It was rebuilt in the early fourteenth-century, and rededicated in 1321. The parish became independent of St Mary's in 1766, when the first perpetual curate was appointed; not until the Wilberforce Act of 1868 did it appoint its first vicar, one William Hind.
The earliest surviving private dwelling, East End Farm Cottage, dates from the late fifteenth century.
The village expanded rapidly between 1923 and 1939 when a series of garden estates, including the architecturally significant Pinnerwood estate conservation area – encouraged by the
Metropolitan Railway
The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex su ...
– grew around its historic core.
It was largely from this time onwards that the area (including
Hatch End
Hatch End is an area of North West London, situated within the London Borough of Harrow. It is located north west of Charing Cross.
Attractions
Hatch End is home to Harrow Arts Centre, a complex which centres on the 404-seat Elliott Hall and ...
, which forms the northeastern part of Pinner) assumed much of its present-day suburban character. The area is now contiguous with neighbouring suburban districts including
Rayners Lane
Rayners Lane is a suburban district in the London Borough of Harrow that forms the western part of Harrow, London, Harrow in northwest London. Located between Pinner and West Harrow, it takes its name from a road in the area, also called Rayners ...
and
Eastcote
Eastcote is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon, in West London, west Greater London, London.
In the Middle Ages, Eastcote was one of the three areas that made up the parish of Ruislip, under the name of Ascot. The name came fr ...
.
Pinner contains a large number of homes built in the 1930s Art Deco style, the most grand of which is the Grade II listed Elm Park Court at the junction of West End Lane and Elm Park Road.
Pinner is also the site of one of the UK's oldest
chartered fairs, called Pinner Fair, which has been held annually since 1336.
Pinner lay within the historic county of
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
; it was located at the western end of the
hundred
100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101.
In mathematics
100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...
of
Gore
Gore may refer to:
Places Australia
* Gore, Queensland
* Gore Creek (New South Wales)
* Gore Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community
* Gore, Quebec, a township municipality
* Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manito ...
, before it was in the
Hendon Rural District
Hendon was a rural district in Middlesex, England from 1894 to 1934.
The rural district was established in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894, consisting of the following parishes:
The parish of Hendon became an urban district in the ...
. In 1965 it became a part of the London Borough of Harrow in the newly formed ceremonial county of Greater London.
Parish church
Pinner's
St John the Baptist parish church was consecrated in 1321, but built on the site of an earlier Christian place of worship. The west tower and south porch date from the 15th century.
Governance
Harrow Council has been governed by the
Conservative Party since 2022. Pinner has two
wards, Pinner and Pinner South, each represented by three Conservative councillors.
Pinner is in the
Brent and Harrow constituency for the
London Assembly
The London Assembly is a 25-member elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds supermajority, to amend the Mayor's annual budget and to reject t ...
which has been represented since 2024 by
Krupesh Hirani
Krupesh Jadavji Hirani (born 29 November 1985) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been the London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow since 2021. He previously represented Dudden Hill ward on Brent Council from 2010 to ...
(
Labour). Since the
2010 general election, Pinner has been part of the
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner is a Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, constituency in Greater London represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 United Kingdom ...
parliamentary constituency, currently served by
David Simmonds.
Geography

Pinner includes Pinner Village at its centre, along with the localities of
Pinner Green
Pinner Green is a small area of Pinner, in the north-west of the London Borough of Harrow, 13.2 miles north-west of Charing Cross. It is a suburban area mostly occupied by family houses and flats, with a small parade of independent shops, a Tesc ...
and Pinnerwood Park Conservation Area to the north. To the north east is the larger area of
Hatch End
Hatch End is an area of North West London, situated within the London Borough of Harrow. It is located north west of Charing Cross.
Attractions
Hatch End is home to Harrow Arts Centre, a complex which centres on the 404-seat Elliott Hall and ...
, served by
Hatch End railway station (originally opened as ''Pinner'').
The
River Pinn
The Pinn is a suburban, outer west London river. It has dendritic headwaters, the furthest is considered its sourcein Harrow Weald. Its confluence with Frays River makes it a tributary of the Colne. It is one of three principal rivers wholly in ...
flows through Pinner, flowing in a diagonal direction. Large parks and open spaces are Pinner Memorial Park, Pinner Village Gardens, Roxbourne Gardens, Pinner Wood (woodlands) and Pinner Park (farmland).
Pinner Memorial Park has a large house in it which includes a museum to Illustrator Heath Robinson as well as a cafe which hosts regular music events throughout the summer; while Roxbourne Gardens also hosts a pop-up cafe and music venue on Sundays year-round.
Much of Pinner has an elevation of about to . Nower Hill rises to a peak of about above sea level while Pinner Park peaks at . The semi-rural Pinnerwood area is steep, and rises to a peak of over around Pinner Hill Golf Course.
Demography

Pinner is both a religiously and culturally mixed area, with the ethnic minority population having grown significantly since the 1970s. Pinner ward nonetheless had the highest concentration of people describing themselves as white in the London Borough of Harrow, at 72 per cent of the population in 2011. In 2013 the Pinner South ward had the next highest proportion of white people in the borough at 69.4 per cent. Various churches, a synagogue and others serve the religious needs of the community.
Pinner also has several independent schools and single-sex schools.
In the 2014/15 period, the Pinner South ward had a crime rate of 24.5, which was the lowest out of all 628 wards of Greater London.
The ward also has (data from 2009 to 2013) the second highest female life expectancy in the capital: 91.7 years, only bettered by Holland ward in
Kensington and Chelsea.
Fairs and Fetes
Pinner holds a number of Fairs and Fetes that are renowned in North West London for bringing its diverse and cosmopolitan community together.
* Pinner Fair has been held annually since 1336, when it was granted by
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
by King
Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
. The fair still draws thousand of people and families from Pinner and the surrounding areas in North West London. The Pinner Fair was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, but the fair's charter was preserved. To keep the annual tradition going, a small selection of non-operational rides were put up in 2020, and the Vicar came out to bless the showmen.
* Pinner Donkey Derby and Fete, held between 1925 and 1939 was a Charity event organised by Rev. John Caulfield, parish priest of St. Luke's, Pinner and
Steve Donoghue
Steve Donoghue (8 November 188423 March 1945) was a leading English flat-race jockey in the 1910s and 1920s. He was Champion Jockey 10 times between 1914 and 1923 and was one of the most celebrated horse racing sportsmen after Fred Archer, w ...
, a leading flat-race jockey. Huge crowds would turn up to see the Derby, as it was also a chance to see celebrities and sporting personalities of the era.
* St. George's Day annual celebrations are organised by the Rotary Club of Pinner and features the "Ye Olde Wheelbarrow Race".
Sport and leisure
Pinner has a rugby union team, Pinner and Grammarians RFC, a member club of the
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...
. It is the most junior team to have supplied a President to the RFU. Pinner also has a cricket team, Pinner Cricket Club, and a youth football club, Pinner United FC. The area also has a golf course, Pinner Golf course.
In addition to numerous restaurants and a number of public houses, Pinner has an amateur theatre group, Pinner Players, who have been performing in the area since 1936 and currently stage productions at Pinner Village Hall off Chapel Lane.
The
Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner Memorial Park was opened in 2016 and is dedicated to the work of the cartoonist
William Heath Robinson.
In popular culture
Literature
Edward Lear
Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limerick (poetry), limericks, a form he popularised. ...
makes reference to Pinner in ''More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc'':
There was an old person of Pinner,
As thin as a lath, if not thinner;
They dressed him in white,
And roll'd him up tight,
That elastic old person of Pinner.
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
mentions Pinner in ''
The War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897, and serialised in '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US in 1897. The full novel was ...
'':
He learned they were the wife and the younger sister of a surgeon living at Stanmore, who had come in the small hours from a dangerous case at Pinner, and heard at some railway station on his way of the Martian advance.
Broadcast media
* The Pinner Fair held in Pinner High Street features in Sir
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architect ...
's 1973
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
film ''
Metro-Land
Metro-land (or Metroland – see note on spelling, below) is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north-west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the 20th century th ...
''.
* The BBC sitcom ''
May to December
''May to December'' is a British sitcom which ran for 39 episodes, from 2 April 1989 to 27 May 1994 on BBC1. The series was created by Paul Mendelson and produced by Cinema Verity. Set in Pinner, Greater London, it revolved around the romanc ...
'' (1989–1994) was set in Pinner.
* During the 1990s the children's TV series ''
Aquila'' was filmed in and around Pinner, particularly at the local Cannon Lane School.
* ''
Chucklevision
''ChuckleVision'' is a British children's comedy television series created by Martin Hughes and the Chuckle Brothers for the BBC. It starred Barry and Paul Elliott as the Chuckle Brothers and occasionally their older brothers, Jimmy, and Bria ...
'', the children's TV series based on the
Chuckle Brothers
The Chuckle Brothers were an English comedy double act comprising real-life brothers Barry David Elliott (24 December 1944 – 5 August 2018) and Paul Harman Elliott (born 18 October 1947). They were known for their BBC children's programme '' ...
was also filmed in Pinner.
* Between 2000 and 2006 Pinner was used for location footage for BBC sitcom
''My Hero'', starring
Ardal O'Hanlon
Ardal O'Hanlon (; born 8 October 1965) is an Irish comedian, actor, and author. He played Father Dougal McGuire in ''Father Ted'' (1995–1998), George Sunday/Thermoman in ''My Hero (British TV series), My Hero'' (2000–2006), and DI Jack Moone ...
as
Thermoman.
*
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's coming-of-age television teen sitcom ''
The Inbetweeners
''The Inbetweeners'' is a British coming-of-age television sitcom, which originally aired on E4 from 2008 to 2010 and was created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris. The series follows the misadventures of suburban teenager Willi ...
'', Season 1 (2008), Episode 2 "Bunk Off" was filmed on the High Street in Pinner.
* The 2009 film ''
Nowhere Boy
''Nowhere Boy'' is a 2009 British biographical drama film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson in her directorial debut. Written by Matt Greenhalgh, it is based on Julia Baird's biography of her half-brother, the musician John Lennon. ''Nowhere ...
'' had a number of scenes filmed in Pinner, including outside the Queens Head Pub, Pinner High Street,
*The 2012 film ''May I Kill U?'', written and directed by
Stuart Urban
Stuart Urban (born 1958) is a British film and television director.
Early life and education
Urban was educated at Rokeby Preparatory School, Kingston upon Thames and King's College School, Wimbledon. At the age of 13, he became the youngest ...
and starring
Kevin Bishop
Kevin Brian Bishop (born 1980) is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his roles as Jim Hawkins (character), Jim Hawkins in ''Muppet Treasure Island'', Stupid Brian in ''My Family'', and Nigel Norman Fletcher in the 2016 rev ...
, was also filmed in Pinner.
* The documentary series, ''
Great British Railway Journeys
''Great British Railway Journeys'' is a 2010–present BBC documentary series presented by Michael Portillo, a former Conservative MP and Cabinet Minister who was instrumental in saving the Settle to Carlisle line from closure in 1989. The d ...
'', Series 6 (2015), Episode 6, "Amersham to Regent's Park" features
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo ( ; born 26 May 1953) is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. His broadcast series include railway documentaries such as ''Great British Railway Jou ...
in Pinner, where he finds out about a Victorian domestic goddess (
Isabella Beeton
Isabella Mary Beeton ( Mayson; 14 March 1836 – 6 February 1865), known as Mrs Beeton, was an English journalist, editor and writer. Her name is particularly associated with her first book, the 1861 work ''Mrs Beeton's Book of Household ...
) and whips up a pint of her fanciest ice cream.
*
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's ''24 Years at the Tap End'' (2011–) is
Chris Stark
Christopher Francis Stark (born 12 March 1987) is a British media personality who is co-host of Capital Breakfast alongside Jordan North and Sian Welby. He is one of the hosts of the award winning That Peter Crouch Podcast. He was also co-host ...
's memoir of growing up in and around Pinner during the turn of the millennium.
*
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts mainly news, sport, Talk show, discussion, interviews and phone-ins, and is on air 24 hours a day. It is the principal BBC radio station Broadca ...
's hit podcast ''
That Peter Crouch Podcast'' (2018–) has many references to Pinner,
Hatch End
Hatch End is an area of North West London, situated within the London Borough of Harrow. It is located north west of Charing Cross.
Attractions
Hatch End is home to Harrow Arts Centre, a complex which centres on the 404-seat Elliott Hall and ...
and the surrounding areas.
*
''Rocketman'' (2019), the biographical musical film based on the life and music of British musician Elton John, had a number of scenes filmed in and around Pinner. Oakmeade substituted for Pinner Hill Road as Elton John's childhood home and Albury Drive as his father's home.
* The British dark comedy-drama spy thriller television series ''
Killing Eve
''Killing Eve'' is a British spy thriller television series produced in the United Kingdom by Sid Gentle Films for BBC America and BBC Three (streaming service), BBC Three. The series follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence age ...
''s Season 3 (2020), Episode 5, is titled "Are You from Pinner?". This is in reference to the character Bor'ka's fondness of
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
.
Notable people
*
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...
and
David Suchet
Sir David Courtney Suchet ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor. He is known for his work on stage and in television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenheimer'' (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his pe ...
were both one-time owners of 17th-century Elmdene in Church Lane.
*
Samuel and Isabella Beeton lived on the Woodridings estate between 1856 and 1862, during which time ''
Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management
''Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management'', also published as ''Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book'', is an extensive guide to running a household in Victorian Britain, edited by Isabella Beeton and first published as a book in 1861. Previously ...
'' was published.
*
Derek Bell, motor racing driver, was born in Pinner.
*
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (; 25 May 1803 – 18 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secr ...
wrote ''Eugene Aram'' at Pinner Wood House in 1832.
*
Ivy Compton-Burnett
Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett, (; 5 June 188427 August 1969) was an English novelist, published in the original editions as I. Compton-Burnett. She was awarded the 1955 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for her novel ''Mother and Son''. Her works co ...
, Victorian novelist, feminist, satirist, was born in the village in 1884.
*
Daniel Dancer
Daniel Dancer (1716–1794) was a notorious English miser whose life was documented soon after his death and continued in print over the following century.
A "strange and unaccountable life"
The miser Daniel Dancer was born in Pinner, then a ...
, the famed miser, was born in here in 1716.
*
Charlie Dore
Charlie Dore (born 1956) is an English singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and actress.
Although best known as a singer-songwriter, Dore has a multi-faceted career that includes acting in film, TV and radio, comedy-improvisatio ...
, singer, was born here.
*
Jo Durden-Smith, British documentary film maker, writer and journalist, was born here in 1941.
*
Daniel Finkelstein
Daniel William Finkelstein, Baron Finkelstein, (born 30 August 1962) is a British journalist, author, political advisor and politician. He is a former executive editor of ''The Times,'' where he remains a weekly political columnist, and has be ...
is a Pinner resident and was created Baron Finkelstein of Pinner, in 2013.
*
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...
, was a magistrate in Pinner from 1893 onwards.
*
Martin Gould
Martin Gould (born 14 September 1981) is an English former professional snooker player from Pinner in the London Borough of Harrow. He has appeared in four ranking finals and won one ranking title, the 2016 German Masters.
Career
Gould began ...
, professional
snooker
Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets: one at each corner and ...
player.
*
Mehdi Hasan
Mehdi Raza Hasan ( ; born July 1979) is a British and American progressive broadcaster, writer, and founder of the media company Zeteo. He presented ''The Mehdi Hasan Show'' on Peacock from October 2020 and on MSNBC from February 2021 until ...
, journalist currently affiliated with NBC, was born and grew up in Pinner.
*
Tony Hatch
Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer.
Early life and early career
Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mu ...
, composer of the
Petula Clark
Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...
hit "
Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
" and many other television themes, including the ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...
'' theme, was born here.
*
Bob Holness
Robert Wentworth John Holness (12 November 1928 – 6 January 2012) was an English-South African radio and television presenter and occasional actor. He presented the British version of '' Blockbusters''.
Early life
Holness was born in Vryheid, ...
, the former host of quiz show ''
Blockbusters'', lived here.
*
Peter Jacobs, Olympic fencer, was born here in 1938.
*
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
, singer and songwriter grew up in
Pinner Green
Pinner Green is a small area of Pinner, in the north-west of the London Borough of Harrow, 13.2 miles north-west of Charing Cross. It is a suburban area mostly occupied by family houses and flats, with a small parade of independent shops, a Tesc ...
and was educated at Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School and Pinner County Grammar School.
[Elton John official website](_blank)
. Retrieved 12 August 2008.
*
Norman Kember
Norman Frank Kember (born 1931) is an emeritus professor of biophysics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and a Christian pacifist active in campaigning on issues of war and peace. As a Baptist, he is a long-standing member ...
, Christian pacifist activist and emeritus professor of biophysics, is a longtime resident of the town.
*
Brian Lane, pilot, (1917–1942) grew up in the village.
*
Lee Latchford-Evans
Lee Latchford-Evans (born 28 January 1975) is an English singer, dancer, stage actor and one of the five singers of the British pop group Steps (pop group), Steps.
Early life
From Ellesmere Port, Evans was born as Lee Latchford Evans, with hi ...
, singer, dancer, stage actor, and one of the five singers of the British pop group Steps, lives and works in Pinner.
*
Simon Le Bon
Simon John Charles Le Bon (born 27 October 1958) is an English singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the new wave band Duran Duran and its offshoot Arcadia. Le Bon has received three Ivor Novello Awards from the Briti ...
, vocalist of post-punk rock band
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
, grew up locally and attended the Pinner County Grammar School.
*
Liza Lehmann, composer, lived at 'Nascot', Waxwell Lane, Pinner for several years after her marriage to
Herbert Bedford in 1894.
*
Caroline Alice Lejeune, film critic, lived here with her husband
Edward Roffe Thompson
Edward Roffe Thompson, who wrote as E.T. Raymond or Edward Raymond Thompson, (27 December 1891 – 13 October 1973) was an English author and journalist. He was the editor of ''John Bull'' magazine and wrote a number of biographies of British poli ...
, a journalist.
*
Jane March
Jane March Horwood (born 1973) is an English film actress and former model.
Early life and education
March's father, Bernard Horwood, was a design and technology secondary school teacher of English and Spanish ancestry. Her mother, Jean, a news ...
, actress and model, grew up here before moving to the United States. Earlier in her career, March was referred to in the press as "The Sinner From Pinner".
*
Agnes Marshall, a
celebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become a celebrity. Today, chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations, usually through the media of television and radio, or in Books, printed publications. While telev ...
and culinary entrepreneur, who published the first certain mention of eating ice cream from a
cone
In geometry, a cone is a three-dimensional figure that tapers smoothly from a flat base (typically a circle) to a point not contained in the base, called the '' apex'' or '' vertex''.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines ...
,
had a country home there and died there in 1905.
*
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter.
Moore's early interest in astro ...
, the television presenter and astronomer, was born in Pinner in 1923.
*
Horatia Nelson, daughter of
Lord Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...
and Lady
Emma Hamilton
Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), known upon moving to London as Emma Hart, and upon marriage as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, becom ...
, lived in Pinner from 1860 until her death in 1881.
*
Lucy Porter, comedian, actress and writer lives in Pinner.
*
Henry James Pye
Henry James Pye (; 20 February 1745 – 11 August 1813) was an English poet, and Poet Laureate from 1790 until his death. His appointment owed nothing to poetic achievement and was probably a reward for political favours. Pye was merely a ...
(poet laureate) retired to East End House in 1811.
*
Joseph Raphson
Joseph Raphson (c. 1668 – c. 1715) was an England, English mathematician and intellectual known best for the Newton–Raphson method.
Biography
Very little is known about Raphson's life. Connor and Robertson give his date of birth as 1668 bas ...
, mathematician, probably baptised at Pinner church.
*
Heath Robinson
William Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 – 13 September 1944) was an English cartoonist, illustrator and artist who drew whimsically elaborate machines to achieve simple objectives.
The earliest citation in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' f ...
, cartoonist, illustrator and artist, lived in Moss Lane, Pinner between 1913 and 1918.
The
Heath Robinson Museum is in Pinner Memorial Park.
*
Michael Rosen
Michael Wayne Rosen (born 7 May 1946) is an English children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster, activist, and academic, who is a professor of children's literature in the Department of Educational Studies at Goldsmiths ...
, poet and children's author, lived in Pinner from the time he was born, in 1946, until 1962.
*
Chris Roycroft-Davis is a resident.
*
Chris Stark
Christopher Francis Stark (born 12 March 1987) is a British media personality who is co-host of Capital Breakfast alongside Jordan North and Sian Welby. He is one of the hosts of the award winning That Peter Crouch Podcast. He was also co-host ...
, internationally renowned BBC Radio presenter grew up in and around Pinner.
*
David "Screaming Lord" Sutch, who lived in nearby
South Harrow
South Harrow is the southern part of the town of Harrow, south-west of Harrow-on-the-Hill in the London Borough of Harrow. Its development originally spread south and west from the hamlet of Roxeth in the urbanisation process and easier acces ...
, is buried in Pinner New Cemetery.
*
Gordon Waller
Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller (4 June 1945 – 17 July 2009) was a Scottish guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as Gordon of the 1960s pop music duo Peter and Gordon, whose biggest hit was the no. 1 million-selling single "A World Wit ...
of
Peter and Gordon
Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher (b. 1944) and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling "A World Without Love". The duo had several subseq ...
lived with his family in the house called Elton, Elm Park Road, and went to St John's prep school before boarding at
Westminster School
Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...
.
*
Molly Weir
Mary Weir (17 March 1910 – 28 November 2004), known as Molly Weir, was a Scottish actress. She appeared as the character Hazel the McWitch in the BBC TV series '' Rentaghost''.
She was the sister of naturalist and broadcaster Tom Weir.
Biog ...
, best known for her role as the long-running character Hazel the McWitch in the BBC TV series ''
Rentaghost
''Rentaghost'' is a British children's television comedy show, originally broadcast by the BBC between 6 January 1976 and 6 November 1984. The show's plot centred on the antics of a number of ghosts who worked for a firm called Rentaghost, which ...
'', lived in Pinner until her death in 2004.
*
Bruce Welch
Bruce Cripps (born 2 November 1941), known professionally as Bruce Welch, is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, singer and businessman best known as a founding member of the Shadows.
Early life
Bruce Welch was born in Bognor Regis in ...
, guitarist in
The Shadows
The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters between 1958 and 1959) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the pre-Beatles era from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. They served as the bac ...
, lived in Pinner.
*
Maude Valerie White, composer, lived in Love Lane, Pinner during the 1890s.
Transport
Rail
Pinner Underground station was opened in 1885 and is on the
Metropolitan line
The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in London Borough of Hillingdon, Hillingdon. Printed in mage ...
in
London fare zone 5. In normal off-peak conditions the train takes approximately half an hour to
Baker Street Underground station and approximately three-quarters of an hour to
Aldgate Underground station.
Hatch End railway station was opened in 1842 and is on the
London Overground
London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
Watford DC line
The Watford DC line is a suburban railway line from London Euston to Watford Junction in Greater London and Hertfordshire. The line is shared by services on London Underground's above-ground section of the Bakerloo line between Harrow & Weald ...
in
London fare zone 6. In normal off-peak conditions it roughly takes three-quarters of an hour to
Euston railway station
Euston railway station ( ; or London Euston) is a major London station group, central London railway terminus and Euston tube station, connected London Underground station managed by Network Rail in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sout ...
.
Buses
Public Transport in Pinner is governed by
Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom.
TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...
.
Cycling
The Metropolitan Quietway Cycle Route runs through Pinner, as well as street-running cycle lanes on Pinner Road and Eastcote Road.
Walking Trails
The
Celandine Route from
West Drayton
West Drayton is a suburban town in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex and from 1929 was part of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District, which became part of Greater London in 1965. The s ...
terminates at Pinner Memorial Park.
Heritage
Harrow Heritage Plaques
The brown plaques are awarded by the Harrow Heritage Trust, who secure the protection, preservation, restoration and improvement of the character and amenities of the London Borough of Harrow.
* Queen's Head Public House on the High Street.
* Wax Well on Waxwell Lane.
* Elthorne Gate on the High Street.
* Grim's Dyke on Montesole Playing Fields.
* Pinner House on Church Lane.
* Pinner Hill Farm on Pinner Hill Road.
English Heritage Plaques
London's
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
s scheme, run by
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
, celebrates the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked.
*
Sir Ambrose Heal (1872–1959), "Furniture Designer and Retailer lived here 1901–1917", The Fives Court, Moss Lane
*
W. Heath Robinson (1872–1944), "Illustrator and comic artist lived here 1913–1918", 75 Moss Lane
Architecture
The architecture in Pinner has evolved greatly over the centuries. The majority of the architecture is conserved by private residents or by Harrow council's Conservation Team.
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norma ...
,
Gothic and
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture in England and Wales, during the Tudor period (1485–1603) and even beyond, and also the tentative introduction of Renaissance architecture to Britain. It fo ...
(1066–1603)
*
Church of St John the Baptist on Church Lane

*Shops and Restaurants on the High Street
* Cottages and Farmhouse on Waxwell Lane
*Dwellings on Moss Lane
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarchs of the House of Han ...
(1714–1811)
*
Pinner House
Pinner House is a Grade II* listed mansion in Pinner, Middlesex. Its façade was built in 1721, but the rest of the building was constructed at some point earlier that century. It was extended during the 20th century, and has been used as an ol ...
on Church Lane

*Shops, Restaurants and Public Houses on the High Street
*Pinner Park Farm House on
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
Avenue
*Former Granary at
Harrow Museum, originally located at Pinner Park Farm
Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture is a series of Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the st ...
(1837–1901)
*
Pinner Station on Station Approach
* Pinner Police Station on Elm Park Road
*Pinner Hill Farm on Pinner Hill Road
*Pinner Hill Golf Club House on South View Road
Metro-land
Metro-land (or Metroland – see note on spelling, below) is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north-west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the 20th century th ...
architecture (1903–1939)
* Suburban prototypes on Cecil Park Estate
*Tudor revival dwellings on Grange Estate
* Arts and Crafts dwellings on Pinnerwood Park Estate
* Cottages on Elm Park Road
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
architecture (1919–1939)
* Elm Park Court on Elm Park Road
* Pinner Court on Pinner Road
* Harrow Fire Station on Pinner Road
* Pinner Wood School on Latimer Gardens
Modern architecture
Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architectur ...
(1945–1980)
* Roman Catholic Church of St Luke on Love Lane
*Shops on Bishops Walk
* Shops on Barters Walk
* Dwellings on Nursery Road
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the International Style (architecture), international style adv ...
(1980–present)
*
Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner Memorial Park
* Dwellings on Caulfield Gardens
* Nursery in Montesole Playing Fields
*Flats on Marsh Road
See also
*
Church of St John the Baptist
*
Pinner House
Pinner House is a Grade II* listed mansion in Pinner, Middlesex. Its façade was built in 1721, but the rest of the building was constructed at some point earlier that century. It was extended during the 20th century, and has been used as an ol ...
*
Pinner Underground Station
*
Metro-land
Metro-land (or Metroland – see note on spelling, below) is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north-west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the 20th century th ...
*
Heath Robinson Museum
References
External links
Pinner Local History Society
{{Authority control
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Harrow
Places formerly in Middlesex
District centres of London