The Abercorn: The Stanmore pub that once welcomed a French king

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 meeti