Harlow - New Town, Old Village

Harlow was one of the first of the modern New Towns to be created on the outskirts of London after the Second World War to help ease over crowding. The task of planning the brave new town fell to the architect Sir Frederick Gibberd and was to be based around the old market town of Harlow in Essex. He was instructed that it should be self-sufficient and be able to cater for 60,000 people.

The old town already had a long and illustrious history of habitation before the development and this looked set to continue. It is mentioned in the Doomsday book and has archaeological evidence of settlements being unearthed including a Roman temple and a pre-historic site. Once completed the town contained new houses, schools, an industrial estate and modern shopping centre. The centre is also home to a number of public works of art by contemporary artists including Henry Moore, Augustus Rodin and Elizabeth Frink, Gibberd himself also designed the obelisk that proudly stands in the town centre.

Sir Frederick Gibberd was a keen collector and during his lifetime amassed a stunning assortment of works by modern painters. Initially he donated 10 pieces to the Harlow Council and upon his death in 1984 he left a further 33 paintings, which form the basis of Harlow’s Collection of 20^th Century British Watercolours and Drawings. There is also the Frederick Gibberd Trust that continues to promote and commission new works for the town's public spaces.

Gibberd Garden was designed by the architect himself and nestles neatly into the valley side. It contains an array of pools, streams, ceramics and a children’s moated castle complete with drawbridge. The grounds are potted with interesting sculptures, Lime trees and a waterfall and are a magical place to take the family exploring. The irony was that when Gibberd applied for planning permission for his own home in Harlow he was turned down.

The Park Inn hotel Harlow is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for a countryside retreat, it is only 10 minutes from London Stansted and ideal for travellers needing over night accommodation for an early start as it is still sufficiently close to London and the major road networks.

The hotel has 119 gorgeously decorated rooms which include all mod cons, a tasty restaurant on site, a health spa and leisure facilities that will help guests to relax. Harlow itself is a beautiful modern town to visit and the surrounding area has plenty of attractions to suit all tastes.