Fascinating Facts About Harlow – Historic Firsts, General Elections, the Titanic, & A World Champion

Although classed as a new town, Harlow in Essex still has some fascinating facts associated with it. Here are a few which you may find interesting…

• A Roman Fort or settlement was based here during the 3rd Century. During excavations in the 1970’s, a Roman temple and a mosaic floor were discovered on top of an earlier Iron Age temple.
• Harlow town centre is notable for being the location of the first pedestrian precinct in Great Britain.
• The Lawn, constructed in 1951, was also the first residential tower block in Great Britain and is now a Grade 2 listed building.
• In 1955, the first purpose built Health Centre in Great Britain, Nuffield House, was opened in the Stow, Harlow. Harlow Town Park is one of the largest urban parks on the country.
• As she was sinking the orchestra of the Titanic played ‘Nearer My God to Thee’. This was written by the poet Sarah Flower Adams of Harlow.
• Shaun Murphy was born on 10 August 1982 in Harlow. He won the Snooker World Championship in 2005. His father bought him a cue from a jumble sale when he was 8 years old, and two years later he made his first century break. In 1995, at the age of 13, he gave an interview to the BBC stating his ambitions to be world champion, a dream which was realised just ten year later.
• The constituency of Harlow, which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering, was the third most marginal seat in the country during the last General Election in 2005. Current Labour MP, Bill Rammell, edged out the Conservative candidate, Robert Halfon, by just 97 votes after three recounts. All eyes will be on the key mariginal seat of Harlow during the next Election.

If you know of any other fascinationg facts about the town of Harlow, please let us know and we add them to the article and our website.