Harlow Leasing

Did You Know?

There is some dispute as to where the place name Harlow derives from. One theory is that it derives from the Anglo-Saxon words 'here' and 'hlaw', meaning "army hill", probably to be identified with Mulberry Hill, which was used as the moot or meeting place for the district.

The original village, mentioned in the Domesday Book, developed as a typical rural community around what is now known as Old Harlow, with many of its buildings still standing. This includes for instance the Grade II listed St Mary's Church in Church gate Street.

The original Harlow New Town was built after World War II to ease overcrowding in London and the surrounding areas due to the devastation caused by the bombing during the Blitz. Harlow was a Mark One New Town along with other new towns such as Basildon, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead.

During an excavation in the 1970’s a Roman temple and mosaic floor were discovered. Not only that, they were discovered built on top of an even earlier Iron Age burial mound.

The Lawn’ was Great Britain’s first residential tower block constructed in 1951 and is now a Grade II listed building. It was designed and built to give each flat a south facing balcony and in 1952 the Lawn received a Ministry of Health Housing medal.

Harlow Town Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country. It was designed by Dame Sylvia Crowe and opened in 1957. In 2016 won a much sought after Green Flag award. 

Nearer my God to me’ was written by the poet Sarah Flower Adams who was from Harlow. This was the last song famously played by the orchestra on the Titanic as she sank into the Atlantic after colliding with an iceberg in 1912.

Snooker World Champion Shaun Murphy was born in Harlow in 1982. His dad bought him his first cue aged just 8 from a jumble sale and by aged ten he made his first century break.

Harlow was also the birth place for British TV favourites such as the late comedian Rik Mayall, actress Jo Joyner and broadcaster Jackie Brambles as well as footballers Carl Jenkinson, Richard Keogh and Lee Harvey.