About Harlow
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Ancient Harlow
The ancient settlement of Harlow located on the southern
banks of the River Stort has almost certainly been inhabited for
well over two thousand years. Numerous excavations at a Romano
Celtic site, in the Templefields area of Harlow, have uncovered
artefacts dating back to well before the arrival of the Romans.
The remains of Roman structures discovered in the area are
thought have been built around the 2nd Century. There have been
many important finds at this site and across Harlow, including gold
Roman coins, carved idols and early Christian bronze workings,
many of which can now be seen at
The Museum of Harlow.
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The town was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, having
a population of just 50. An ancient Saxon village had sprung
up in the Old Harlow area by the 12th Century, based around
the hill at Mulberry Green. After the Norman Conquest the area
became populated by both Normans and Saxons, with a number of
Norman manor houses, including Mark Hall being founded. There is
also evidence that markets had been held in the village long before
the 12th Century, with the Harlow Bush Fair appearing in ancient
manuscripts. There are several ancient buildings surviving in the
town, including Harlow Mil, a water mill which has been in
operation in some capacity since before 1000 AD; as well
as several Grade I listed buildings.
For most of its existence the village of
Harlow was little more than a charming stopping point on the road
between Cambridge and London. The original village was expanded
after the Second World War to provide modern, secure housing for
the thousands of Londoners displaced by the ‘Blitz’.
Modern Harlow
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The great architect Sir Frederick Gibberd devised a master plan
to transform the sleepy market community into a thriving, modern
town that was to boast the country’s first post-war tower block and
pedestrianised shopping precinct.
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The older parts of the town were left in situ,
linked by the new housing estates and a series of small shopping
centres. The new town was designed to compliment the rural Essex
countryside, with generous swathes of green areas and parkland
dissecting the housing estates. Many of the town's new buildings
were designed in a contemporary, even futuristic style (for the pre
1970s).
The town also displays fine examples of modern
sculpture in its open spaces. The works of Rodin, Henry Moore and
Frederick Gibberd are strategically placed to great effect around
the town centre and parkland areas.
Today Harlow continues to grow and its great
facilities and proximity to London, Cambridge and Stansted
International Airport, make it a magnet for businesses, shoppers
and commuters alike. There are plans to develop Harlow further with
ambitious regeneration projects already underway, which include
massive investments in housing, business and recreation facilities,
whilst preserving the town’s treasured green spaces.
More information about Harlow can be found listed on the menu on
the left.