 | Harlow in Essex is perhaps best known for being one of the first new towns postwar. It is also one of the oldest settlements in England. It lies in the west of Essex on the Hertforshire border in the Stort Valley. The M11 motorway is nearby and the town is popular as a choice of residence for London commuters. Cambridge is just 40 miles away.
The original village of Harlow, which is referred to in the Domesday Book, was a rural community based around what is today called Old Harlow.
The new town was developed after World War II to take some of the pressure off London's overcrowding. It was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, who designed it in separate neighbourhoods: each with its own shops and community facilities and green space. The centre of the town is well known as the location of the country's first residential tower block, called the Lawn. This was built in 1951 and is now a Grade II listed building.
The town, once home to a large biscuit factory, is an important research town, with some large research companies based here.
Many famous people have connections with the town, including the actor and comedian Rik Mayall, the actress Jessie Wallace, and reality television's Jade Goody. |
