The El Alamein Stone, a memorial dedicated to those who gave their lives for peace, has been moved from outside the old Civic Centre to a new location in Harrow Weald Recreation Ground, also known as Boxtree Park.
The stone, which was brought from the site of the famous Second World War battle in Egypt, was first unveiled in 1974. It served as the main peace memorial for Harrow and stood outside the Civic Centre in Station Road for nearly 50 years.
It is now placed near the existing war memorial by the park entrance in Harrow Weald. The move marks the second major war memorial relocation linked to the council’s plans to redevelop the Civic Centre site. In 2024, the granite obelisk-style war memorial, first installed in 2005, was moved to St Ann’s Road in Harrow Town Centre.
Both memorials were relocated to preserve them ahead of regeneration plans for the Civic Centre site. The area is set to be redeveloped with around 1,000 new homes and a green community space. The council confirmed that keeping the borough’s memorials accessible and respected was a key part of the process.
The El Alamein Stone was originally installed by the London Borough of Harrow in 1974. At the time, the council wanted a lasting reminder of the sacrifices made during the Second World War and chose a physical stone from the battlefield of El Alamein in North Africa. It was dedicated during a ceremony that year and remained the focus of remembrance services at the Civic Centre until recent years.
An inscription on the front of the stone reads, “Harrow honours those who gave their lives for peace.” A second inscription on the side states, “This stone came from El Alamein.”
The new location at Boxtree Park places the stone close to another war memorial, allowing the public to continue paying their respects in a well-visited and visible area of the borough.
Further updates on the redevelopment of the Civic Centre are expected soon, keep an eye on Harrow Online for the latest.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
