Here you will find facts about Harlow. Who knows...you may discover something you never knew about our town!
As the Titanic sank the orchestra played 'Nearer My God to Thee', written by the poet Sarah Flower Adams of Harlow.
HOUSING
The Lawn was the first housing tower block of its kind in Britain. Designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd it was opened in 1951. One of the first post war buildings to be Grade II listed by English Heritage.
Several housing estates were designed by world famous architects. For example Tanys Dell and The Chantry (Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew), Ladyshot (FRS Yorke), Churchfield (H T Cadbury-Brown), The Downs (Richard Sheppard), and Northbrooks (Powell and Moya).
Bishopsfield, built in 1966, was the result of an architectural competition. Later known as 'the Casbah' the scheme won several awards for its design including a Housing Design Award in 1969.
HEALTH
The concept of a 'Health Centre' was first conceived by Lord Stephen Taylor, a member of the Harlow Development corporation board. The idea was to have one building with a doctor, a dentist and a nurse all under one roof. Harlow opened the first health centre in a converted house in The Chantry called Haygarth House in 1951.
The first purpose built Health Centre, Nuffield House, was opened at the Stow in 1955.
Harlow also pioneered the idea of an Industrial Health Service, whereby nurses would visit factories and businesses to monitor the health of the workforce.
LEISURE
The new town public houses are all named after butterflies and moths (an idea from Stephen Taylor). The pub sign would show the insect on one side and on the reverse an image that would pun on the name.
Between 1958 and 1961 the Harlow Sportcentre was built. This was partly funded by contributions from the public through their rates. This was the first community project of its kind in the country and was the first to use the name 'sportcentre'.
The Odeon cinema (now closed) was opened in 1960 and was the first cinema built in Britain since the war and the first by the Odeon group since 1937.
The Harlow Town Show began in 1965 and over a thirty year period became one of the biggest regional events bringing many visitors to Harlow.
Harlow Town Park is one of the largest urban parks in Britain.
NEWSPAPER
Harlow was the first of the New Towns to have its own newspaper. The Harlow Citizen was first produced in May 1953. Unlike other new towns this was produced completely independently of the Development Corporation.