This section is dedicated to the Housing of Harlow New Town in Essex. Harlow is my favourite New Town of the early ones that I have visited so far. Its one of six Post War New Towns to be constructed around London. Its very suburban in nature and was criticised for being so however the more conservative approach to the housing has I think generally stood the test of time and due to mainly being non-radical architecture its avoided the wrecking ball, sadly unlike the Town centre which to this day is still being mutilated with demolitions and replaced with completely forgettable and badly planned buildings. The masterplanning was overseen by Sir Frederick Gibberd as was the design of the housing and town centre architecture through the HDC (Harlow development corporation) housing is predominantly 2 storey terraces but with low blocks of flats mixed in and a handful of point blocks scattered over the Town. One of which The Lawn in Mark Hall North (the first housing area to be completed in the early 50s) is actually the first high-rise point block to be built in the UK! Gibberd also selected invited architects to design pockets of social & private housing. What I really like about walking around the housing zones is that you come across real surprises of interesting private housing mixed in with the generally more modest social housing. The approach was to mix up demographics and architectural styles to avoid areas becoming socially seperated, an approach that is of course popular today, even if private house builders would rather avoid it! Gibberds approach to town planning was that the green areas or in between spaces are just as important as the architecture. This approach is evident when walking the housing zones as the communal space from informal landscaped areas to pockets of woodland is very generous, especially in the earlier zones. Then theres the beautiful Harlow Town Park where you could be mistaken for being in the countryside within some parts. Anyway Thats enough from me, have a look through these samples of housing and pay a few visits and decide for yourself…will be adding to this section after future visits.. Photo above, The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores.
The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores, A unique and wonderful estate South of the Town Centre and probably the most radical housing development in the town. Set on the top of a hill, 5 low rise blocks of flats/maisonettes form a crescent overlooking a "piazza" with an ominous carpark beneath. Behind the blocks, Courtyard Houses, descend down the hill off narrow pedestrian lanes accessed through the crescent blocks. The L shaped houses are almost completely inward looking with the main windows facing on to the private courtyards. Triangular segments of communal parkland down the hillside are accessed from the gaps between the crescent blocks. Some blocks at Piazza level have been demolished and the minimalist bespoke windrows have mostly been replaced. Was threatened with demolition but seems to have come to nothing. Apparently the houses are very popular. Has been nicknamed "the Casbah" due to its Mediterranean hill town feel. The design won a competition in 1961 by Michael Neylan who was working for chamberlin Powell & Bon at the time (who designed the Barbican Centre) Teamed up with William Ungless to complete the scheme in 1963-66.
The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores
The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores
The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores
The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores
The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores
The Bishopsfield Estate, Passmores
Old Orchard, Passmores: This private estate not far from Bishopsfield was the result of a competition promoted by Ideal Home and the Royal Institute of British Architects. The winner was Clifford Culpin & Partners. Built 1962-64. Two types of houses in varied configurations. A modern light coloured brick with white weatherboarding & mono pitch roofs. Each house has a single storey extension at the front which houses a kitchen yard with a shed and what looks like utility space. The bigger houses have integrated garages. Could not see any original windows or doors. The landscaping / spaces between could be better but the density is quite high. 60 houses in total. If this had been a span Estate the landscaping would be much better, but then the houses would also likely have been smaller….
Old Orchard, Passmores:
Old Orchard, Passmores
Shawbridge, Great Parndon: I went to see this in particular because it’s designed by Eric Lyons who is more well known for his designs for the Developer SPAN. This 1962 development is for the local authority, the then Harlow Development Corporation and consequently its not to the same quality of materials, design and attention to detail as His Span designs but never the less it’s interesting and nicely laid out. Mostly 2 storey houses of dark brick. Sheer front and end facades, with small windows and pitched roofs to the rear. The houses are partly arranged around nice pedestrian grassed squares along with two storey pensioners flats. Sadly as usual it seems all original windows and doors have gone & many pitched roof porches have been added where there were simple projecting rectangular canopies. These alterations are a sign that most have been bought using “Right to buy” by tenants.
Shawbridge, Great Parndon
Shawbridge, Great Parndon
Copse Hill, Great Parndon: rather nice classic mid century detached houses which make up the Copse Hill area, Great Parndon. Half brick and half weatherboarded facade with attached garages, some “luxury editions” even have two! Generally most have not been altered to badly, but there are the usual scattering of my most hated “period style” plastic front doors, god I hate these things! 😱These must have been built by a private developer for sale. You do find pockets of private developments in Harlow amongst what is predominately social housing, this was intentional to create social variety and aspiration.. Likely early 1960s construction. Given the amount of mid century houses that feature in the background of tv adverts theses days I think this would make a good location for a shoot..
Copse Hill, Great Parndon
Altham Grove: An unusual interpretation of the terraced house. The staircase to these 2 bedroom houses is unusually set at the front of the house within the projecting brick section and the bathrooms are in the timber clad section to the right over the entrance. Doing this frees up the space behind and makes these small houses feel bigger than they are. Certainly creates an unusual but rather blank front elevation as windows are within the returns of the projection. Interesting experiment...I believe they date from around 1962, by The HDC Design Group.
Altham Grove
Altham Grove
Altham Grove: Found two of these these curious blocks .They seem to only contain 2 two bedroom maisonettes on ground and first and sitting on top, two 1 bed flats accessed by an open staircase up to an access gallery like a ships deck. Looks like these blocks are thrown in to add variety to what is otherwise mostly an area of two storey houses, as is most of Harlow. Quite an effort for only 4 flats but rather like them, nice facade composition. As usual unfortunately the doors and windows have mostly been replaced with ugly plastic ones. Have seen similar blocks scattered in the Little Parndon area. I believe they date from around 1962, by The HDC Design Group.
Altham Grove
Altham Grove: An unusual row of 3 terraced houses Another interpretation of the terraced house. Flat roofed at the front pitched at the back. Unusual and somewhat enclosed roof terrace at the front. Sadly all original windows and doors have gone, replaced by the usual motley selection of double glazing. The one on the right looking better than the others and perhaps the windows configured more like the originals. One house has even had a rather unfortunate brick arch inserted over the entrance. I believe they date from around 1962, by The HDC Design Group.
Altham Grove
Morley Grove, Little Parndon.. Rather nice 3 storey 4 bed town houses. Completed 1967. Designed by Gibberd & Partners. Nice weatherboarded clad facades with separate windows punctuated in the facade rather than the full width linear strip ones common at the time on this type of house. As usual no original windows or front doors and every single house now has different double glazing window configurations. Could not find one House with original ones so not sure what they looked like when built. Nice original vertically grooved metal garage doors with no Visible frame. Think they were built for private sale rather than social housing.
Morley Grove, Little Parndon.
Morley Grove, Little Parndon.
Morley Grove, Little Parndon. Block of flats with Interesting expressed sections that pop up from the roofline, I’m assuming they contain maisonettes. Like the horizontal zig-zag windows with weatherboarding. Could be much improved with contrasting variety of materials.. Likely to be dated around 1967. Designed by Gibberd & Partners. It’s a long block with several raised sections. Gibberd apparently wanted its undulations to reflect the skyline of the town….
Rivermill, Little Parndon. interesting block because of the pop up sections of maisonettes which are expressed as individual houses sitting on top of the block. Likely to be dated around mid sixties. for the HDC
Rivermill, Little Parndon.
Mark Hall North:. There are a few terraces of this design on Mark Hall Moors, Broomfield and this end of terrace example on Stackfield. A simple brick, pitched roof house with black timber weatherboarding in a traditional style rather than the flat white modernist style. Thinking this must be a reference to Essex Vernacular architecture. This house (or workers cottage) is a rare example indeed as it has all its original Crittall windows and front door with yellow ceramic tiles. Really is a time capsule. Designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd who also designed the master plan for Harlow...dated 1950-1954
Mark Hall North, Stackfield
Mark Hall North, Stackfield
The Chantry, Mark Hall North: Like the restrained simplicity of these no nonsense 3 bed terraced houses not far from the Lawn. There are many terraces of these identical shallow mono pitched roofed houses. Painted render to the upper front facade, brick to the ground and sides. Few have any original windows but the two closeup photos are of ones that still have the original Crittall windows. I like the almost child’s Toy like quality of these houses. They would look great if all painted in stronger contrasting colours as you often see on terraces of Victorian houses. Turns out they are designed by Maxwell Fry & Jane Drew, built in 1950-1953. All very Swedish according to Pevsner.
The Chantry, Mark Hall North
The Chantry, Mark Hall North
The Lawn, Mark Hall. The first high-rise! For better or worse that followed, this is the first residential point type Tower Block in the UK, completed in 1951. It’s 10 storeys high. Located in the Mark Hall district in Harlow New Town which was the first neighbourhood to be built and now a conservation area. It’s grade II listed and in great original condition, (no nasty cladding here!) just the usual loss of original windows. It’s in a Scandinavian inspired New humanist style (or Festival style) typical of the time, its opening was a Festival of Britain event. It. Contains four flats to each floor which are Studios and one bedrooms, sensibly at the time it was thought that this type of block was not suitable for families with children. How things changed over the next couple of decades! While many tower blocks have been demolished, The Lawn, has survived the times...designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd. Oh and surprisingly difficult to photograph!
The Lawn, Mark Hall.
Arkwrights, Mark Hall South: This is what I love about Harlow, private houses for sale were mixed in with the more predominant social housing to create architectural and social variety. Consequently you often come across unusual surprises such as this house which is one of about seven on Arkwrights. Probably early 1960s and quite likely to be by The HDC Design Group or possibly by an invited architect. Nice classic Jag in front!
Halling Hill, Nettleswell: In an area thats predominantly 2 storey houses a nice understated 4 storey block of flats is introduced to add variety. its a cluster of three pitched roof structures rotating around shared circulation. Giving a shared house look that is not challenging or dominating the low rise houses in the area. Probably early 1960s and by The HDC Design Group.
Pittmans Field, Nettleswell: There’s quite a few of these small terraced houses with low pitched asphalt roofs in the area. I like the continuous strip of glazing at first floor contrasting with the ground with its door and single window set in nice pale yellow brick. Sadly as always the unified look that these houses has been somewhat spoilt by different types of replacement windows and doors…