Harlow New Town - A Brief History
Harlow is mostly a
new town in the district of west Essex, UK. It borders Hertfordshire and
occupies a large area of land on the left bank of the upper Stort Valley. Old
Harlow is a village founded in the early medieval period, mostly comprising Victorian
buildings along it’s high street.
The new town was
built after World War ll to ease overcrowding in London due to the devastation
caused by The Blitz. It was a Phase 1 new town along with Basildon, Stevenage
and Hemel Hempstead after the New Towns Act of 1946. The master plan for Harlow
was drawn up in 1947 by Sir Frederick Gibberd. The development included the
market town of Harlow, now known as Old Harlow and the villages of Great
Parndon, Latton, Tye Green, Potter Street, Churchgate Street, Little Parndon
and Netteswell. The town was divided into neighbourhoods, each supporting their
own shopping precincts, community facilities and pub.
Gibberd invited many leading post-war architects to help with the design, including Philip Powell, Hidalgo Moya, Leonard Manasseh, Michael Neylan, E C P Monson, Gerard Goalen, Maxwell Fry, Jane Drew, Graham Dawbarn, H.T. Cadbury-Brown and William Crabtree. Harlow has one of the most extensive cycle track networks in the country, connecting all areas of the town, to the town centre and industrial areas. The cycle network is composed mostly of the original old town roads.
The town’s authorities built Britain’s first pedestrian precinct, and first modern-style residential tower block, The Lawn, constructed in 1951 (now a Grade ll listed building). Gibberd’s tromp-l’oeil terrace in Orchard Croft and Dawbarn’s maisonette blocks at Pennymead are also notable, as is Michael Neylan’s pioneering development at Bishopsfield. The first neighbourhood, Mark Hall, is a conservation area.
All work is for sale on this page and throughout the site, if you have any queries please get in touch via my Contact Page.
Gibberd invited many leading post-war architects to help with the design, including Philip Powell, Hidalgo Moya, Leonard Manasseh, Michael Neylan, E C P Monson, Gerard Goalen, Maxwell Fry, Jane Drew, Graham Dawbarn, H.T. Cadbury-Brown and William Crabtree. Harlow has one of the most extensive cycle track networks in the country, connecting all areas of the town, to the town centre and industrial areas. The cycle network is composed mostly of the original old town roads.
The town’s authorities built Britain’s first pedestrian precinct, and first modern-style residential tower block, The Lawn, constructed in 1951 (now a Grade ll listed building). Gibberd’s tromp-l’oeil terrace in Orchard Croft and Dawbarn’s maisonette blocks at Pennymead are also notable, as is Michael Neylan’s pioneering development at Bishopsfield. The first neighbourhood, Mark Hall, is a conservation area.
All work is for sale on this page and throughout the site, if you have any queries please get in touch via my Contact Page.
The Lawn
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The Lawn is the first
residential tower block to be built in Britain. It takes it’s name from the
lawns of Mark hall, a Victorian Mansion which used to stand near Harlow Museum.
One of the Park Lodges still stands at the bottom of the road.
In the tower there are four flats per floor, cleverly arranged in a butterfly shape so that all living rooms face south. Building of The Lawn began in 1950 and it’s opening was a Festival of Britain Event. Frederick Gibberd was the architect, who of course also created the master plan for Harlow. The extra cost of building a tall building was justified by the ‘need’ to preserve seven old Oak trees. FG, as he was known, took great care setting the building in the landscape, pegging it out on the ground between the trees. During the Festival of Britain an exhibition was held inside which included models of parts of the New Town. This is now a listed building. Information from http://www.harlowcivicsociety.org.uk To buy a canvas or print of The Lawn on P4ME click on the image or go to Redbubble via site links on my Purchase Page. |
Photo of the Week
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The Sculpture Town |
Harlow is Known as The Sculpture Town and spread out throughout the town are more than 70 sculptures, sometimes passed every day without even being noticed. Here I will endeavor to find and photograph as many as I can. Some of them have been moved and in some cases vandalized or even stolen.
All of the images here are for sale, though not all are on my websites, so if you are interested in any of them please visit my contact page and get in touch. |