Harlow Totally Explained

Everything about Harlow totally explained

ť This article is about the town and district in England. For other uses and places see Harlow (disambiguation)

Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley. The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt. The district has a current population of 78,768 (2005 estimate).

History

Etymology

The name Harlow derives from the Anglo-Saxon words 'here' and 'hlaw', meaning lberry Hill, which was used as the moot or meeting place for the district. The original village, mentioned in the Domesday book, developed as a typical rural community around what is now known as Old Harlow, with many of its buildings still standing.

Early history

There was a Roman fort or settlement dating from around the 3rd century. Archaeological excavations during the 1970s unearthed a Roman temple and a mosaic floor, itself built on top of an earlier Iron Age temple. The oldest finds in the town were axe heads made in about 6000 BC.

The new town

The new town was built after World War II to ease overcrowding in London at the same time as the similar orbital developments of Basildon, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead. The master plan for the new town was drawn up in 1947 by Sir Frederick Gibberd. The development incorporated the market town of Harlow, now a neighbourhood known as Old Harlow, and the villages of Great Parndon, Latton, Tye Green, Potter Street, Churchgate Street, Little Parndon and Netteswell. The town is divided into neighbourhoods, each self supporting with their own shopping precincts and community facilities. 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 mostly comprised of the original pre-new town roads.
The town centre is notable being the location of Britain's first pedestrian precinct, and first residential tower block, The Lawn, constructed in 1951; it's now a Grade II listed building. From 1894 to 1955 the Harlow parish formed part of the Epping Rural District of Essex. From 1955 to 1974 Harlow was an urban district.
The town centre, and many of its neighbourhood shopping facilities have undergone major redevelopment, along with many of the town's original buildings. Most of the town's buildings, built at a time when concrete was widely used in construction, now suffer from conditions relating to this, both practical and aesthetic. Subsequently, many of the original town buildings, including most of its health centres, the Staple Tye shopping centre and many industrial units have been rebuilt. The most notable of these has been the demolition of Gibberd's original town hall, a landmark in the town, and its replacement of a new civic centre and shopping area.

Redevelopment

The town has already experienced expansion, with the Church Langley estate completed in the 1990s, and its newest neighbourhood "New Hall" nearing completion. The Harlow Gateway Scheme is currently underway, with the relocation of the Harlow Football Stadium to Barrow's Farm in early 2006, and the building of a new hotel, apartments and a restaurant adjacent to the railway station being complete. The next stage of this scheme involves the completion of the 530 eco-homes being built on the former sports centre site, and the centre's relocation to the nearby former college playing field site.
Other major developments under consideration include both a northern and southern bypass of the town, and significant expansion to the north, following the completed expansion to the east. The Harlow North plans, currently awaiting permission, involve an extension of the town across the floodplains on the town's northern border, into neighbouring Hertfordshire. The plan is supported by MP Bill Rammell, all three political groups on Harlow Council, and the East of England Regional Assembly. It is opposed by Hertfordshire Council Council, East Herts Council, Mark Prisk, MP for Hertford and Stortford in whose constituency the development would be and all the parishes concerned. The opposition is co-ordinated by a local group based in neighbouring East Hertfordshire.. An attempt to have Harlow North designated an "Eco Town" was rejected by the Minister for Housing, Caroline Flint, MP in April 2008
The south of the town centre also underwent major regeneration, with the new civic centre being built and the town's famous water gardens being redeveloped, a landscape covered by English Heritage. With this came a range of new shops, a major superstore and several restaurants and cafés. It is likely that this development will be continued throughout the rest of the shopping district, with plans awaiting planning permission to be granted.

Economy

Built originally with most employment in manufacturing, with two major developments of the Pinnacles and Templefields providing the biggest employment to the region, Harlow has shifted in several directions.
The original manufacturing took the form of a Biscuit factory, on the Pinnacles. Owned and run as a Co-Op, it provided employment to the town for over 50 years, before closing in 2002. It has since been demolished and the site is now small industrial units. At its peak, the factory employed over 500 people. At the time of its closure the owner was Burton's foods limited. An £8 million production line, installed in 1999, was left to rust in the car park at the closure of the factory.
There is a large commuter population, into the financial centres of central London and more recently growth at the nearby Stansted Airport has provided a population growth and many jobs to the area. It is also the 2nd most important town for research second only to Cambridge, with major employers including Raytheon Systems and GlaxoSmithKline both having large premises within the town. Unemployment is currently around 10%, higher than the national average in the UK. Harlow also has a large number of people in social housing, almost 30%

Mark Hall - Sports college

St. Marks - Business and enterprise specialist

Burnt Mill - Performing arts college

Stewards School - Science specialist

Passmores School - Technology college

Harlow College - College Brays Grove is due to be closed down in 2008 due to falling numbers of school aged students in the town. Once this site is vacated, a new school is to be built for Passmores who are relocating to the Brays Grove site
In the 1980s a further two secondary schools were closed, Latton Bush (now a commercial centre and recreational centre) and Netteswell (now forms part of the Harlow College Campus) is a major further educational centre, covering GCSE's, A-Levels, and many vocational subjects including Hair & Beauty Therapy, Construction, Mechanics, ICT and a new centre for Plumbing due to open. The college is currently under major regeneration and is due to open a new university centre in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University, covering mostly Foundation degrees in a variety of subjects relevant to local employers needs. Memorial University of Newfoundland also has a small international campus located in Old Harlow.

Leisure and entertainment

Harlow rugby club play their rugby union home games at Ram Gorse. The first team plays in the London & South East Div III North East league, and three other teams play at lower levels, in addition to Ladies and Junior sides. Harlow Town F.C. football (soccer) team play in the Ryman Premier League. In October 2006 they moved into a new ground at Barrows Farm, and their old ground at the Harlow Sportcentre is being demolished to make way for new housing facilities as part of the Gateway Scheme, which will also see a brand new sports centre complex built in centre of the town, on the former Harlow College playing field.
Harlow is the location of The Playhouse theatre.
There is an extensive town centre which boasts a farmers market on the third Saturday of the month in the market square.

Environment

A major feature to the new town is its green wedges, with over 1/3rd of the town being parkland or open space. Harlow Town Park is one of the largest urban parks in Britain, and occupies a large chunk of the central town. Each estate is also separated by open space (spitting distance).
The town is in a very dry area of the UK, with nearby Maldon being the driest area in the country. In 2006 the entire South East of England was affected by drought, with Harlow covered by a water restriction order, preventing unnecessary use of water. Snowfall caused chaos in early 2006 and 2007, as it did in 2003. The heatwave of the same year also saw the UK hit its highest ever recorded temperature, a short distance away in Gravesend, Kent. The area is generally much milder than most other parts of the UK.
The summer of 2006 also saw flash floods hit many parts of the town, causing major roads through the town to become temporarily impassable, and severe damage to many properties around the town. As a result the council is reviewing its flood defences and drainage systems.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Harlow'.

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