Harlow Civic Society

07/06/2026

Harlow's Master Plan framed housing areas with green wedges that helped to define neighbourhoods, buffer residents from areas of industry and created pleasant outlooks and travel routes.

Green wedges, green fingers and green space continue to feature on planning documents today.

The green wedge at the end of Jocelyns is just one example of an unremarkable green space that would be easy to take for granted. It provides a through route to Harlow Mill station and a space where a wide range of trees and insects flourish.

Image credits:

Harlow Museum

Harlow Council, Harlow Town Centre Masterplan Framework

31/05/2026

As Master Planner of Harlow, Frederick Gibberd was ever mindful that he was designing a town - an urban rather than suburban space. He valued terraced houses visually and in terms of the housing density they could provide and stated that, 'if we desire to create a sense of urbanity, we may well increase our terrace houses to three floors, which is probably the ideal average height for town building.'

This was the case in his design for Morley Grove, adjacent to the town centre and built between 1961 and 1967. A five storey block of flats occupies the high ground with three storey, terraced townhouses arranged at right angles to it. The townhouses were built with integrated garages, some of which have since been converted to extra rooms.

References:
p.52 Manley, Christine. Frederick Gibberd 2017
Harlow: The Story of a New Town

17/05/2026

In the mid 1960s in a climate of central government uncertainty, Harlow Development Corporation put together plans for a mini-expansion to the south-west of the town. The neighbourhoods of Katherines and Sumners were the result.

The housing area of Red Willow added 130 homes to the town, built in warm red brick and bordering green fields. There were a range of house sizes and a high percentage of flats - as would be repeated at Mercers a few years later.

10/05/2026

Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire is an example of an exisiting settlement repurposed as a New Town being designated in1948.

WGC was the second manifestation of Ebenezer Howard's Garden City Movement, originally planned by Louis de Soissons with the first houses being built in 1920. De Soissons took a neo-georgian approach to building design, using red bricks made from the local clay.

WGC was originally planned for 50,000 residents but by 1948 the population was only 18,500. De Soissons was kept on as Master Planner which explains the continuity between the garden city and early new town buildings. Knightsfield for example demonstrates regency style balconies and is now grade 2 listed.

Like Harlow, the emphasis was on green space with trees and wooded areas retained and wooden fences outside houses being banned. This approach built on the garden city's which had split the town center and housing with the magnificent green boulevard of Parkway. Parkway now houses a statue of Ebenezer Howard by sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies complete with carved lettering by Parndon Mill's .

Images are of: Garden City homes, Parkway, New Town homes beginning with Knightsfield, Ebenezer Howard statue.

architecture

03/05/2026

It's been a busy week for Harlow Civic Society . Tuesday saw Parndon Hall being included in The Victorian Society's Top 10 Endangered buildings for the year, a fascinating talk from Twentieth Century Society 's Laura Mark about Conserving New Towns and the return of the Harlow Architectural Design Award. We proudly presented the award to and Essex Housing for Oakview Walk development. At our AGM members had an opportunity to chat with Laura and the award winners before we got down to business and also welcomed a new committee member and a couple of new society members.

On Friday we unveiled a new blue plaque in the Water Gardens to Dr George Hockham, co-inventor of optical communications and co-author of the seminal 1966 paper on the subject.

Today a couple of us visited another new town - Welwyn Garden City - to learn a bit about their story (post next week).

If any of this sounds of interest to you, join us at the link below / our website and help shape the society's future, celebrating and preserving Harlow's built environment: https://share.google/4b452eP3lZmzMJPvx

01/05/2026

Pleased to be part of Dr George Hockham being acknowledged for his part in the invention and development of fibre optics.

Very proud to be unveiling a blue plaque, for local Harlow boy Dr George Hockham, who invented the fibre optic cable.

A lovely morning with George's family, paying tribute to his innovative work and recognise the pioneering spirit of our town, which I hope will inspire Harlow's next generation.

My thanks to Harlow Civic Society for working with George's family and my office to make this happen.

01/05/2026

Harlow Civic Society are proud to announce that the winner of the 2025 Harlow Architectural Design Award (HADA) for a Residential Development is Oakview Walk, Purford Green.

The award was accepted by representatives of and Essex Housing at our AGM on Tuesday evening.

The panel of judges praised Oakview Walk for it's ecofriendly approach to heating, power generation and the wider environment of the development along with the overall design of the homes.

Joel James from Essex Housing commented that this award was the most significant they had won as it was independent and came from within Harlow itself.

The hunt now begins for the 2026 HADA shortlist!

28/04/2026

Today the Victorian Society named Harlow's Parndon Hall as one of its 10 Most Endangered Buildings for 2026. The Civic Society nominated this Grade II listed building for the list as it had been concerned for many years about its dilapidation. We hope that inclusion on the list will focus attention on bringing the building back into use.

Set in Princess Alexandra Hospital's grounds, Parndon Hall's most significant features are the remarkable wall and ceiling paintings by Elizabeth Arkwright that are at high risk of further deterioration if nothing is done.

For more information see the BBC Essex story, link below or see inside for yourself during Heritage Open Days on the 19th and 20th of September.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj949gm8ppdo

The building's ceilings and walls are filled with artworks that are at risk, a charity says.

26/04/2026

If you're interested in 20th Century architecture and all things New Town we hope you'll come and join us to hear Laura Mark, Head of Casework speak on 'Conserving New Towns' this Tuesday at 7pm.
Note change of venue to Moot Hall.

We'll be awarding the Harlow Architecture Design Award on the same evening, then after refreshments holding the business part of our AGM.

Where: Moot Hall, The Stow
When: 7pm Tuesday 28th April

NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE

12/04/2026

Katherines, along with Sumners, was one of the final neighbourhoods to be developed by the Harlow Development Corporation, to the south west of the town.
While most of the housing was designed in house, Sheppards was developed by Birmon Housing Association in 1979 and designed by Robert Turner and Associates and created 78 homes - mainly flats.