Growing Harlow ticks all the boxes for commuters

Harlow is a family-friendly commuter town with plenty of amenities and green spaces and trains to London in just over 30 minutes, Cambridge in just under an hour and Stansted Airport in 17 minutes.

Many national housebuilders are creating new homes in and around the town which is celebrating its 70th anniversary of being one of the UK’s first new towns built after the Second World War.

The 12 square miles of Harlow were designed by the renowned architect Sir Frederick Gibberd and built on a theme of neighbourhoods with shops, schools, churches and health centres around the town centre. “Green Wedges” separated the neighbourhoods and were designed to provide open space for wildlife and recreation. Over a third of Harlow is parkland or fields with public footpaths and the town is surrounded by Green Belt land.

The existing market town of Harlow was renamed Old Harlow and surrounding villages were incorporated in the new town. Harlow is home to Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern-style residential tower block, The Lawn, which is now Grade II listed.

The government recently confirmed the town as part of its garden village/garden town project for the coming years. Newhall is a new neighbourhood of almost 3,000 striking contemporary homes within Harlow built on former farmland. Designed for 21st-century living there are plenty of open spaces, cycle ways and play areas around the distinctive and original residential homes.

Harlow town centre and many of its neighbourhood shopping facilities have undergone major redevelopment, along with many of the town's original buildings. Gibberd's original town hall has been demolished and replaced by a new civic centre and The Water Gardens shopping area with a Cineworld cinema. The Harvey Centre features some of the biggest names on the high street as well as over 30 independent retailers. A market is held four days a week in the town square.

There is a major collection of over 100 public sculptures by artists including Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Many of these are owned by the Harlow Art Trust, an organisation set up in 1953 by Gibberd. Almost all of the sculptures are in the open air, in shopping centres, housing estates and parks around the town.

Harlow is also home to the Gibberd Garden, the former home of Frederick and Elizabeth Gibberd, which is a managed twentieth-century garden. The Playhouse Theatre has a full programme of productions and the local museum is set within the grounds of a sixteenth-century manor building.

The Square has been named as one of the Top 10 Small Venues in the UK by NME magazine. Harlow Town Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country and the Mark Hall Sports Centre offers a range of activities. Football, cricket, rugby, bowls and greyhound racing are also available to play and watch.

There are many schools including primaries St Alban’s Catholic Primary and Burnt Mill Academy Trust. For older children, secondary schools include Passmores Academy and Mark Hall Academy. The independent St Nicholas School caters for pupils from four to 16.

A monthly season ticket to London Liverpool Street costs £432 (£4,500 annually) with the fastest journey time of 34 minutes. Trains to Tottenham Hale with a Victoria line tube connections take 16 minutes (£267.30 monthly, £2,784 annually); Stansted takes 17 minutes (£179.80 monthly, £1,872 annually); Cambridge takes 49 minutes (£334.10 monthly, £3,480 annually).

Road links are also excellent with the M11, M25 and A1 motorway, giving access to London in just over an hour by road (30 miles), Stansted Airport in 22 minutes (15 miles) and Cambridge in just under an hour (40 miles).

Here’s a round-up of great new homes to buy in Harlow:

Langland Place (Linden Homes) - These exclusive 12 four- and five-bedroom houses located in the village of Roydon are just 2.5 miles from Harlow. Each property is detached with a large private garden and excellent rail and road links. Part exchange is available. Prices from £895,000. For more information visit www.lindenhomes.co.uk; 01279 905 355
Terlings Park (Miller Homes) – This development of two-bedroom apartments and four- and five-bedroom detached homes blend stylish with practical. With each home offering spacious living accommodation and at least one ensuite bedroom they appeal to all types of buyers. Prices from £350,000. Find out more about Terlings Park from Miller Homes	​
Edge (Linden Homes) - A collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses in this sought-after development surrounded by woodland, lawns and fields close to transport links, creating a truly family friendly environment. For families 13 primary schools and three secondary schools are within a five-mile radius. Prices from £359,950. For more details visit www.lindenhomes.co.uk; 01279 905 381
Fusion (Bellway) - A selection of new homes available with Help to Buy in the affordable commuter hotspot of Harlow offers the perfect solution for those with smaller deposits wanting to upsize and upgrade. The two-, three- and four-bedroom properties are located in the ground-breaking Newhall estate. Prices start from £299,995. For more information visit www.bellway.co.uk; 01279 436046	​
Canterbury Park (David Wilson Homes) – This collection of four-and five-bedroom homes is in the beautiful village of High Cross to the north-west of Harlow with an excellent range of schools nearby and London just 45 minutes away by train from nearby Ware. Prices from £499,950. For details visitwww.dwh.co.uk; 0844 854 7767	​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​