Pinner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pinner is a suburb in north-west London. It is situated 12.5 miles (20.1 km) north-west of Charing Cross. It is almost entirely in the London Borough of Harrow, except for its far western edge which is in the London Borough of Hillingdon.
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[edit] History
Pinner was originally a hamlet dating back to at least medieval times. The oldest part of the town has a church dating back from at the least the early 1200s as well as some Tudor buildings.
Pinner has had an annual street fair since 1336, when it was granted by Royal Charter by Edward III. It remains popular today, and is the last of its kind in Middlesex. The fair started as market-style affair and has over time evolved in to a funfair. It was featured in Sir John Betjeman's BBC TV documentary Metro-land (1973).
[edit] Attractions
Pinner has three main shopping areas; Bridge Street, High Street and Marsh Road. Bridge Street (the central business district) has the majority of the shops and is far more urban in its character. Its popularity is partly because the H11, H12 and H13 bus routes run the length of the shopping area and the 183 bus route starts off here on its run to Golders Green.
In recent years many chain stores have opened up on Bridge Street, making the suburb less 'village like' and more in line with other suburban shopping developments. The chain stores themselves have created a fair amount of retail competition, especially as almost all the stores have equivalents run by independent owners that are nearby.
Rents are high on Bridge Street and consequently many banks are located here. Charity shops also line the road.
The High Street, in contrast, is mostly made up of mock tudor and 18th century buildings and has a distinctly rural character. It is quieter and more attractive than Bridge Street, and contains numerous estate agents, several restaurants and locally-owned businesses. Barters Walk runs off the High Street leading to the main supermarket in the town.
Marsh Road runs south from the main town centre and has a variety of other retail outlets, including a DIY store, restaurants, cafes and off-licences, as well as Pinner Library and the Pinn Medical Centre.
[edit] Individuals associated with Pinner
The following people have an association with Pinner:
- The playwright W. S. Gilbert was a magistrate in Pinner from 1893.[1]
- The singer Sir Elton John was born in Pinner in 1947
- Simon LeBon of the band Duran Duran lived in Pinner and attended Pinner County Grammar School in the 1970s
- The astronomer Patrick Moore was born in Pinner in 1923.
- Horatia Nelson, daughter of Lord Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton, is buried in Pinner Parish old cemetery
- The cartoonist Heath Robinson was from Pinner, and West House in Pinner Memorial Park has a museum dedicated to him
- The actor David Suchet, most famous for his many portrayals of Hercule Poirot on TV, lived for many years in Pinner
- Bob Holness, famous for hosting the TV game show Blockbusters, also lives in Pinner
- The actress Jane March grew up in Pinner
[edit] Nearby places
[edit] Public Transport
Pinner tube station on the London Underground's Metropolitan Line is situated in the centre of Pinner. Hatch End railway station is nearby and was formerly named "Hatch End (for Pinner)". Other nearby stations are: Rayners Lane tube station and Eastcote tube station
The following London Bus routes operate through Pinner to surrounding towns:
- 183 (Towards Golders Green)
- H11 (Towards Harrow and Mount Vernon Hospital)
- H12 (Towards South Harrow and Stanmore)
- H13 (Towards Ruislip Lido and Mount Vernon Hospital)
[edit] External links
- Pinner Local History Society
- The Pinner Association
- Rotary Club of Pinner
- Pinner Rugby Football Club
- Pinner Synagogue
- Pinner Players Theatre Company
- Pinner Bridge Club
- Pinner Cricket Club
- Pinner Local Directory
- inPinner.net
- Pinner Flickr Group
