Description
Like the adjacent and much larger Stanmore Common, Little Common Stanmore is part of the old common lands of Stanmore. There were two manors, Great Stanmore and Little Stanmore, and the area was rural until the C20th. This small area contains woodland and four ponds, two Brewery Ponds and two Spring Ponds, probably created as village ponds. Of the latter, Pump Pond retains the old pump, while to the north Caesar's Pond may have existed in Roman times. The Brewery Ponds served Clutterbuck's Brewery. Overlooking Little Common are a group of C18th and C19th cottages and nearby is Stanmore Hall.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Stanmore Little Common |
|---|---|
| Site location | Warren Lane/Wood Lane, Stanmore |
| Postcode | HA7 |
| What3Words | ///sobs.wrong.gasp |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Harrow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Stanmore (Jubilee) then bus. Bus: 142. |
| Research Updated | 1 January 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Little Common Stanmore abuts the much larger Stanmore Common (q.v.) and together with the grounds of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital they form a remnant of the old common lands of Stanmore. Little Common contains woodland and four ponds: the two Brewery Ponds were constructed c.1900, the largest of which supplied Clutterbuck's Brewery that was then on Stanmore Hill; some of the former brewery buildings have now been converted to flats. The two Spring Ponds are older and were probably former village ponds, created artificially by damming. One of these has the old pump and is therefore known as Pump Pond, and that to the north is known as Caesar's Pond. This latter is probably the oldest of the four ponds and may have been in existence from Roman and Saxon times, so-named in some sources because Caesar is said to have drunk from its waters. An alternative explanation for the name is that Roman Legionnaires used it when they were at Sulloniacae, on the other side of Edgware Road, then called Watling Street.
Overlooking Little Common are a group of C18th and C19th cottages and nearby to the south is Stanmore Hall. The original house was built in the C18th by the Duke of Chandos who owned the Canons estate and was added to by later owners. In 1847 it was re-sited, when the present house was built by J M Derick for John Rhodes; it was restored after a fire of 1979 and is now used as offices. To the south, Stanmore Recreation Ground is on land that was probably once part of the Stanmore Hall estate.
Overlooking Little Common are a group of C18th and C19th cottages and nearby to the south is Stanmore Hall. The original house was built in the C18th by the Duke of Chandos who owned the Canons estate and was added to by later owners. In 1847 it was re-sited, when the present house was built by J M Derick for John Rhodes; it was restored after a fire of 1979 and is now used as offices. To the south, Stanmore Recreation Ground is on land that was probably once part of the Stanmore Hall estate.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ164933 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Harrow |
| Site Management | Environmental Services, Parks Services |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Stanmore Hall (Wood Lane). LBII: Wall south-west from corner of No.3 Little Common and north-east to rear of No.2, and wall fronting road between Nos.2 & 3; Nos.5 & 5A Little Common and attached outbuildings; No.13; Nos.36-43 consec.. Local list: Water Pump; Nos. 1 and 2, 3, 11 (Faircot), 12 (Maytree), 18-22 consec. Little Common; lodge and gate piers to Stanmore Hall on Wood Lane |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Common (CL51) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Harrow |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Little Common |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Stanmore Common is a remnant of the once extensive common lands in Great Stanmore that were reduced by enclosure. There were two manors, Great Stanmore and Little Stanmore, and the area was rural until the C20th. Archaeological finds indicate that there was settlement here from the Bronze Age. The common today has woodland and heathland with an area of older woodland at The Grove. Stanmore Cricket Club was established in 1853 when an area of the common was enclosed for the purpose, once the site of an C18th bowling green.
Stanmore Country Park was part of the estate of Warren House, an C18th mansion with landscaped grounds as well as land in agricultural use. In 1937 the land was acquired for public open space by Harrow Council and Middlesex County Council and later owned by the GLC. It transferred to LB Harrow in 1976 and was designated a country park. It is managed as a nature reserve. It is possible that the ancient city of Sulloniacae was once situated within the Warren House Estate grounds.
The site of Stanmore Recreation Ground was probablly once part of the estate of Stanmore Hall. The original house was built in the C18th by the Duke of Chandos who owned the Canons estate. Stanmore Hall was added to by later owners, and in 1847 it was re-sited, when the present house near Little Common was built by J M Derick for John Rhodes. The recreation ground was laid out in the 1930s and has fine trees at the entrance on Dennis Lane including mature oak and areas of shrub planting near the pavilions.