Two NW London suburbs (and thus two tube stations) are named after lumps of rock at the side of the road. Let's visit both.
The Weald Stone, Wealdstone
What? The Weald Stone is a humpy lump of sarsen stone approximately the same length as a sleeping human. Where? Not in the centre of Wealdstone where I'd always assumed it'd be, but on the High Road in Harrow Weald outside an Indian restaurant. Why? Nobody knows. Sarsens aren't naturally found on the Middlesex scarp, but the southern extent of glaciation is hereabouts so it might have been dumped by the ice, else ancient peoples moved it here for some reason. When? Nobody knows. The first recorded mention of the rock is in the reign of Henry VII when it was important enough a landmark to be described in legal documents as 'le stone'. And it's still here.
Nearest station? Bear with me. When the London and Birmingham Railway opened in 1837 Harrow was the first stop after Euston. But it wasn't that close to Harrow which at the time was clustered around the famous school-on-the-hill a mile to the south. Neither was it particularly close to Wealdstone, a mile to the north, which was then a tiny hamlet with a farm, a smithy, a pond, some cottages and an ancient sarsen stone. But a more commuter-friendly Wealdstone duly grew up closer to the station, which in 1897 was renamed Harrow and Wealdstone, and that's now where all the main shops and services are. The old Wealdstone is better known these days as the hub of Harrow Weald, itself a sprawling suburb where the chief transport focus is the bus garage just up the road opposite Lidl. And OK, the closest station to the Weald Stone is marginally Headstone Lane, but it makes more historical and geographical sense if you pretend it's the interstitial node of Harrow and Wealdstone.
Whence? The rock's not always been where it is now. It disappeared from public record between 1547 and 1834 although must have been around long enough to give the hamlet its name. It was then rediscovered during the building of The Red Lion, the second pub on this site, and placed outside by the road (perhaps as a mounting block). When the pub was re-rebuilt in 1934 it was moved again, I think to its current location, although the road junction shows every sign of being remodelled since.
Whither? Other than the Weald Stone there's nothing historic hereabouts, only a mini-roundabout, some local shops and a Waitrose whose architect seems to have had a Teutonic castle in mind. If you want a kebab, a dental implant or a seven-horse accumulator you're in the right place. Alas The Red Lion stopped being a pub in 2016, or hurrah if what you'd prefer is a curry as it now exists as a cafe/bar/restaurant called Bombay Central. This has spread out onto the High Road with outdoor seating across what used to be a parking bay, so the Weald Stone now sits at the foot of a curved black fence emblazoned with adverts for Diwali fireworks. Alas the restaurant is currently closed following a catastrophic water main burst under the High Road in June and won't be reopening before mid-November, if they're lucky. Being a lump of rock the Weald Stone weathered the inundation without damage and you can still see it, touch it, sit on it, stand on it or even tie your shoelaces on it.
What? A squarish block of limestone, two foot by two foot, resembling a large grey cough lozenge. Where? At the heart of Whetstone beside the big crossroads, again on the High Road but a completely different High Road, outside a traditional pub. Why? Nobody's sure. But the true reason is almost certainly not the Civil War-related reason the Victorians thought it was. When? Nobody knows. As with the Weald Stone the official Historic England listing just says "indeterminate antiquity", but it's almost certainly the younger of the two.
Nearest station? Totteridge and Whetstone, which is just down the hill in the Dollis Brook valley. The village of Totteridge is to the west and the estates of Whetstone are to the east. Nearest vehicle? A red Honda CR-V, 2007 vintage (annoyingly for photographic purposes).
Whence? The village of Whetstone grew up after the Great North Road was diverted here in the early 14th century. Its name may have derived from the Whetstone or, less thrillingly for today's subject matter, it may have been a later corruption of West Town. Legend says that soldiers on their way to the Battle of Barnet in 1471 sharpened their swords on the Whetstone, the very definition of a whetstone being a stone to sharpen blades. However Finchley historians are more convinced that it's a mounting block, perhaps placed in situ in the 18th century when riders needed to dismount outside The Griffin Inn to pass through a tollgate on the turnpike. Additionally the stone was once thought to be 14 foot deep, but a council inspection in 1905 confirmed it was merely resting on the surface. All in all it's a bit of a disappointment, probably, but still a significant relic in the locality.
Whither? There's been a pub at this crossroads for over 500 years, although the current The Griffin is a 1930 rebuild. You can sense the longevity of the road by its width, with the Whetstone positioned on a lengthy traffic island added to aid traffic filtering left. This is a potentially vulnerable location so two thin bollards protect the block to either side, neither of which stand upright suggesting they have a valuable role to play. The neighbouring horse trough isn't original, alas, it's a granite replica added in 2020 and filled with bedding plants. Whetstone's residents enjoy some fairly decent retail options hereabouts including fireplace showrooms, yet another Waitrose and cafes where they give you a little biscuit with your coffee. But it's not all classy, with the massive hulk of former office block Barnet House smashing any heritage illusions, and that's before it's been converted into 260 flats. Given the money you'd live in Totteridge, but if the choice were Wealdstone versus Whetstone then you're in the right place.
How? For further background information the Friern Barnet & District Local History Society have installed a fact-dense information board beside the Whetstone, and if I sounded well-informed earlier it's mostly thanks to them.
