Harlow

Harlow is a district and new town in Essex, in the East of England, designated under the New Towns Act in 1947. The master plan was drawn up by Sir Frederick Gibberd and organised neighbourhoods around green wedges and a central shopping and civic area known locally as The Stow. Public spaces such as the Water Gardens and linked linear parks run through the town centre, and the area is served by a station on the West Anglia Main Line. Housing, schools and community facilities were laid out as part of the post‑war plan, with industrial and business estates positioned around the town to concentrate employment.

Gibberd’s influence is visible in the Gibberd Garden, open to visitors and featuring terraces and ponds beside a house he designed. Harlow has an extensive programme of public sculpture sited in parks, roundabouts and pedestrian routes, with many pieces located alongside the town’s water features. Local services include retail in The Stow, leisure centres, sports pitches and markets in the town centre. Harlow Museum and the council archives document the town’s planning history and local industry.