Archaeologists are excavating around a historic manor house which was briefly owned by Henry VIII.

The Museum of London has started the dig around Headstone Manor, in Pinner View as part of the museum’s Excavate London project.

Excavations at the site are being led by the Museum of London Archaeology department which is hoping to explore buildings have disappeared over the centuries and possibly find a gatehouse previously recorded on the site.

Jo Saunders from the Harrow museum said: “It’s been really exciting having the Museum of London come down and excavate the site.

“We have had schools down at the site which was great chance for them to learn some more about Harrow’s history.

“We’re really lucky to have the museum come to Harrow and it’s great they have taken an interest in our history.

“This year they wanted to excavate a medieval site and there are very few of them in central London, so they have had to look in and around outer London.”

The site is a medieval moated manor, which was owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury before the English Reformation.

The manor, which was owned by Henry VIII for six days during the reformation, is the only moated house in Middlesex and one of the few remaining in England.

Harrow Times: Headstone Manor and Museum

The project will end with a family open day on July 20 at the Harrow Museum, also on the site, where people will be able to find out more about what has been found during the dig.

The day will also include tours of Headstone Manor, medieval re-enactments, craft stalls and displays from the Museum of London’s medieval collections with some skeletons of medieval Londoners.

Staff at Headstone Manor are currently putting together a bid for £3.6million Heritage Lottery Grant to restore the manor house and create new museum devoted to the history of Harrow.

Also during the coming months the historic 16th century tithe barn will be refurbished.