Picture the scene: horses and coaches making their way up Stanmore Hill, travellers stopping for food and a drink, and the road outside looking nothing like it does today.
That was life around The Abercorn more than 200 years ago. Long before it became the restaurant people know today, the building at 78 Stanmore Hill was a busy coaching inn and an important stopping point for people travelling between London and places further north.
Its history includes coaching routes, highwaymen, local meetings and even a visit from, believe it or not, a French king.
A busy stop on Stanmore Hill
So let’s start at the beginning. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Stanmore Hill formed part of an important route into London. Travelling any real distance meant going by horse or coach, and inns such as the Abercorn Arms were an essential part of the journey.
Travellers could stop for food, drink or somewhere to stay, while horses could be rested or changed before the journey continued. Coaches were running between Stanmore and Holborn by the early 1800s, and by the 1820s there were regular services leaving from outside the Abercorn and heading towards Oxford Street.
The hill itself was not always an easy stretch of road. Coaches would slow down as they climbed, and there are old stories of highwaymen targeting travellers in the area. Harrow Council’s conservation history for Stanmore Hill even refers to robberies taking place along the route.
The Abercorn name came from the Marquess of Abercorn, who bought nearby Bentley Priory in 1788.
When a French king came to Stanmore
The most unusual chapter in the building’s history came on 20 April 1814.
Louis XVIII of France had spent years in exile during the Napoleonic Wars. Following Napoleon’s defeat, Louis was preparing to return to France and take the throne, and his journey brought him through Stanmore.
At the Abercorn Arms, he was met by the Prince Regent, who later became King George IV, along with the King of Prussia and other European dignitaries. Large crowds gathered in the area to see what must have been an extraordinary sight.
Louis stopped at the Abercorn for breakfast before continuing towards London. Contemporary accounts describe a large procession being formed afterwards, with around 100 gentlemen on horseback and several royal carriages.
For Stanmore residents at the time, it would have been a day unlike almost any other.
The royal connection became part of the building’s identity. It later became known as the Abercorn Arms Royal Hotel and was also referred to as the Royal Hotel during the 19th century.
Part of Stanmore life
Away from visiting royalty, the Abercorn continued to play a role in everyday local life.
In February 1853, a Court Leet for the Manor of Stanmore was held there. These were old local courts that dealt with matters concerning the manor and the community, and the Stanmore gathering is believed to have been one of the last of its kind held in Middlesex.
As transport changed, the coaching trade gradually disappeared. Railways transformed the way people travelled and Stanmore itself continued to grow. The Abercorn survived those changes and became better known as a traditional local pub.
Its historic importance was recognised in 1983 when the building was given Grade II listed status. The red-brick frontage remains one of its most recognisable features.
There is another small piece of listed history just outside too. The traditional red K6 telephone box beside the building is also Grade II listed.
The Abercorn today
The building now operates as Everest Abercorn, a restaurant, bar and events venue serving Indian, Nepalese and Indo-Chinese food.
Stanmore Hill looks very different from the road used by stagecoaches two centuries ago, but the Abercorn remains in the same prominent position.
Today, it is easy to pass it without thinking too much about how it would gave appeared all those years ago. But go back to 1814 and you would have found horses outside, coaches arriving and departing and a French king sitting down for breakfast before continuing his journey towards London.
Quite a story for one of Stanmore’s most popular restaurants.
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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.
