"Rebuilding Harlow"

 It may feel to many of us that the town centre has been constantly in a state of being rebuilt for much of the last decade, but right now things are ramping up to a whole new level! 

Approaching from the direction of Fourth Avenue we find temporary site fencing to our left - where the Town Square is being remodelled yet again. Straight ahead is now a long run of hoardings behind which the demolition of the building which formally fronted onto West Gate, East Gate and the first part of Broadwalk, along with the long-closed Little Walk has finally begun. It leaves the Town Square looking oddly light and bright. 

Also with a rather different outlook all of a sudden is one of my favourite buildings in the Town centre - I'm unsure what this houses currently, perhaps the College's Hair Salon, judging by the signage? - it's a fantastic building to photograph though with its contrast of round and linear shapes. 

The Town Square is looking quite smart - I took a sneak-peek through a gap in the fencing. It's good that they are giving the new planting time to establish before opening it up - it's just to be hoped that the time and effort (and money!) needed to  maintain this level of planting has also been factored in! 

Another view, this time looking down from the steps in North Gate... 

Now, we wait and see how long all this will take, whether the new planting in the town square will survive, and what exactly is going to replace the run down and largely empty Little Walk and West Gate areas. 

Hidden history…

 

The designers of the New Town were surprisingly perceptive when it came to the needs of those living in flats. I’ve mentioned the pram cupboards before, many of those are still in use across the town. Less often found now are the drying greens though - areas where flat-dwellers could hang their washing outside. This was not an entirely altruistic view of course, before the days of tumble dryers having wet washing lingering about indoors wasn’t good for the buildings or their inhabitants. 

Most of the drying greens have disappeared now - there’s no sign of the one at the flats we used to live in, at Cooks Spinney though, tucked away behind the flats are two unassuming wooden fences, and behind a relatively new gate installed in the first…

Not only a drying area, but one which very much appears to still be in use. 

The second area isn’t in as good a condition and clearly isn’t still used. 

I’m not sure whether there are any others of these areas still in use at other flats in the town - I’m not aware of any, but will start keeping a closer eye out as we’re out and about to see. I love that this bit of social history survives though - over 70 years of (mostly) women pegging their laundry out, chatting and putting the world to rights. A meeting place as well as a functional one. 

Murals…

 

As part of Harlow Council’s mission to tidy and brighten up the town, they have commissioned murals to decorate the many underpasses where old roads/cycle paths go underneath the new town busy thoroughfares, and also in other public areas of the town. 

Each one features a subject that fits with the town and also with the area it is in - wildlife, sport, the town’s Sculptures, features from the town - the Nichols Field Underpass features the “Work While it is Day” wording from the nearby Clock Tower house. 

The nature and wildlife that can be found around the town features heavily - and the River Stort that borders the northern edge of the town doesn’t get left out. 

There has recently been a consultation to get ideas for the remaining murals to be completed - with the majority of respondents asking for subjects which reflect the heritage and history of the town, or things which are close to many residents, from sports and the arts, to cycling. 

More information about the murals can be found at https://letstalk.harlow.gov.uk/underpass-murals